The reverberation of the choir
I feel it passing through
"singing, clapping
and rolling their heads"
Like a people I once knew.
I try not to listen
But it seeps into my thoughts
"whispering
another way... coaxing"
Accepted sorrows, life overwrought.
They sing of a different world
With hope, humility, and heart
"steal away,
steal away home"
But from this world, I cannot part.
I want to stand, to live
A sinner, but equal to you
Give up
"never" never "do that"
Suffer and fight is what I must do.
~*~*~
This poem, written from the perspective of Bigger Thomas, is woven through with lines from pages 237 and 238 in my text (Harper and Row, Publishers 1966)
- Tori Greaves p.1
Very creative! I love this for the simple fact that it reflects Bigger's conflicting attitude towards religion and reason.
ReplyDeleteTori,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the manner in which you presented one of the most compelling themes in Native Son: desire. In particular, I admire how you presented Bigger’s diverse emotions that arise from his constant “what if” mentality. Do you think Bigger’s attitude is his major personal problem or, in your opinion, are there other personal things that hold him back?
wow ! i like how you wrote this in bigger's perspective. it is very creative.
ReplyDelete-angela
I love this poem! It shows how torn Bigger is between wanting that certainty of God's love that his mother and the pastor have, but not wanting to allow himself to feel hope and embrace a religion associated with the white people he despises so much. Even though he does not want any part in the religion his mother and the pastor bring to him, the thought of God and life after death consume him as his own imminent death draws near. I like how, at the end of your poem, you show how ultimately he decides to live as he has always lived rather than change so near to the end.
ReplyDelete-Rebekah Adeyemo
Tori,
ReplyDeleteI love this! I like how you are able to show how Bigger is conflicted over religion. He is uncertain because of his situation. The end of the poem is outstanding. Very creative approach!
-Emily T