Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement started in 1960 and ended about 1970. Some of its most influential poets were Malcolm X and LeRoi Jones, also known as Amiri Baraka, who wanted to create political work that explored the African American historical experience. The Black Arts Movement was often criticized, being called homophobic, misogynist and racially exclusive. However, it is credited with starting a new generation of poets, writers and artists.
Primer for Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks
AnalysisThe title "A Primer for Blacks" is giving the impression that the poem is a method of peace for those who are black. In the poem, Brooks stated "All of you, you colored ones, you negro ones, those of you who proudly cry I'm half Indian, those of you who proudly screech". The poet is trying to get the message out that even if you have a little bit of another race within your veins, you're still considered black or African American so embrace it. Brooks also stated "Blackness stretches over the land". She was trying to say that being black isn't a secret, whether you like it or not blacks are everywhere and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. The poem is written as though the writer is speaking to a crowd, as though she's making a speech or a protest about how blacks should be proud to have African roots. The poem is portraying a theme of man vs. society, because society teachers that light or fair colored skin is better but within the poem Brooks says "Blackness-- the black of it, the rust-red of it, the milk and cream of it,the tan and yellow-tan of it, the "olive" and ochre of it...Black marches on". Brooks wrote this poem to tell blacks that no matter what shade of black your skin is, black is black so embrace it, and be satisfied with ones self because black is beautiful.
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Literary DevicesThe literary devices that are located within this poem are repetition and metaphors. For example, "Blacks here blacks there black wherever they may be" is an example of repetition because blacks is being repeated constantly. "Black is a title, is a preoccupation, is a commitment" is an example of a metaphor because it is being compared to those three things.The purpose of the literary devices listed above in the poem is to emphasize the message within the poem and the importance of what the writer was saying.For instance she kept saying "It's great to be white". This was applied in the poem by using comparisons of black and white and showing what society says and what reality is because society says its great to be white but reality is black is here, it's everywhere and it's great to be black.
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