After reading the two poems by Francis Harper (1230-33) and the two by John Greenleaf Whittier (1220-24), skim over chapter 5 in Gardner's _Writing about Literature_. Choose one of the elements of poetry (speaker, listener, imagery, sound and sense) to analyze in one of the poems.
All the poems are narrative (they tell a story) but they also are advocating social reform, specifically the abolition of slavery. In your journal analyze how one element of poetry persuades the audience to action. Write 200-300 words, citing specific evidence from the poem itself
After I spent time looking at the difference between speaker, listener, imagery, sound and sense; I really felt as if imagery could get a person to want to join the abolition movement. When someone uses strong imagery you can really invoke the emotion you are trying to convey from your poem. After carefully reading all 4 of the poems, John Greenleaf Whittier's "The Hunters of Men" really gave me a strong feeling of wanting to go abolish slavery, even if though it has already been done! You can feel the emotion in this writing. "Oh, goodly and grand is our hunting to see, In this "land of the brave and this home of the free." Priest, warrior, statesman, from Georgia to Maine, All mounting the saddle, all grasping the rein; Right merrily hunting the black man" this quote from the poem really explains the feelings Whittier's has towards slavery. As a Quaker abolitionist he adds in the part of "land of the free and the brave" but then continues to go on and show they are hunting the black man, therefore explaining that not all men are free on this land. The title it self is paints a huge piece of imagery used in this poem "The Hunters of Men" since in this time abolitionists are trying to get people to join this movement titling a poem about how men are being hunted really explains how men are not something to be hunting.
While reading this poem I had images of white males riding horses through the woods searching for black men running on foot, I do not believe that is an image that any one should be able to imagine. I believe that Whittier purposefully made this his image of the poem to evoke the emotion of disbelief in people that this is actually happening and no man should free being hunted by his fellow man. The opening lines of the poem "Have ye heard of our hunting, o'er mountain and glen, Through cane-breake and forest,- the hunting of men?" Paints the picture of black men running from white men so perfectly. Opening with these lines are perfect to give you that image I previously explained.
Reading Whittier's "The Hunters of Men" really put slavery in perspective for me. I agree that through this poem, it inspired all of us to stand up for those whose lives were not rightfully theirs to live. Early in his poem, Whittier explains that, "Though hundreds are caught, there are millions to catch (8)," meaning that slavery is an inhumane act of society that could, quite possibly, never end.
ReplyDeleteFrom our readings this semester, it is so unfair of how our country was run in its beginnings. America was a hypocrite, as you state in your response, because Whittier titles America as, "land of the brave and this home of the free (22)." Well, "the free" may have been white men, but it certainly was not all women nor any black person. Through this statement, Whittier almost stabs these slaveholders in the side with the accusation that they have taken these innocent peoples lives and rights away from them.
Anyone coming to America has the right to start over and live free, away from imprisonment and restraint. However, slaves were deprived of this right. Through Whittier's "The Hunters of Men", he uses such superb imagery as you have pointed out that really gives the reader an image of what life was like for slaves and the daily battles they could never escape. One can only imagine how revolutionary this poem was for readers in this time and how it inspired many to make a difference in American morale.