Summary Of I Am A Black Woman
Nuances of the Senses: A Deeper Perception into Imagery In the two poems “I Am a Black Woman” by Mari Evans and “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the authors use the strong poetic device of imagery to bring their words to life. In two very distinct styles and meaning, Evans vividly depicts the struggles of “black” women, while Roethke uses his diction to show the emotional skirmish and dance between a boy and his father. Evans begins “I Am a Black Woman” by appealing to the auditory sense in order to express a beautiful song both literally and figuratively: I am a Black woman the music of my song some sweet arpeggio of tears is written in a minor key (1-4).
The reader can hear the …show more content…
She pays homage to these specific historical events because not only did they change the world, but they also shaped and revolutionized the black community. Evans then compares a black woman to a “cypress” tree. She gives the imagery that, like an old tree, black women are “assailed impervious, indestructible” (29-31). Assailed meaning she has been attacked vigorously, whether with words or weapons and still stands strong. Impervious because she is incapable of being injured or impaired despite what is endured and indestructible because a black woman can never be broken down no matter what obstacles she faces. “My Papa’s Waltz” starts off with the smell of “the whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy” (1-2). The father, in his alcoholic exhilaration picks up his son and begins a wild romp around the room. Right away the nose is the first sense that is reached with the sour smell of whiskey reeking from the father and the young boy tries to ignore the odor, but is made dizzy. He “hung on like death” and the reader can feel his fear as him and his father madly scramble around the
The reader can hear the …show more content…
She pays homage to these specific historical events because not only did they change the world, but they also shaped and revolutionized the black community. Evans then compares a black woman to a “cypress” tree. She gives the imagery that, like an old tree, black women are “assailed impervious, indestructible” (29-31). Assailed meaning she has been attacked vigorously, whether with words or weapons and still stands strong. Impervious because she is incapable of being injured or impaired despite what is endured and indestructible because a black woman can never be broken down no matter what obstacles she faces. “My Papa’s Waltz” starts off with the smell of “the whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy” (1-2). The father, in his alcoholic exhilaration picks up his son and begins a wild romp around the room. Right away the nose is the first sense that is reached with the sour smell of whiskey reeking from the father and the young boy tries to ignore the odor, but is made dizzy. He “hung on like death” and the reader can feel his fear as him and his father madly scramble around the