Speaker. The speaker is the character who speaks in a poem—the voice assumed by the writer. As you read, decide who is the speaker of “A Black Man Talks of Reaping.”
Rhyme. Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends of words. One type of rhyme, end rhyme, is the use of rhyming words at the ends of lines. As you read, try to figure out the rhyme scheme of each stanza.
|
In his novels and poetry, Bontemps portrayed the lives and struggles of African Americans, a theme that can be seen in his poem “A Black Man Talks of Reaping.” In this poem he uses the metaphor of farming to express the bitterness felt by blacks in a racist America. The message of the poem is that black Americans have labored long and hard only to look on while white Americans reap, or harvest, the benefits.
Have you ever worked hard at something only to see someone else reap the benefits of your efforts? How did you respond to the experience?
|
