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American History by Michael Harper
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American History
By: Michael S. Harper
Poem
Poem
Those four black girls blown up
in that Alabama church
remind me of five hundred
middle passage blacks,
in a net, under water
in Charleston harbor
so redcoats wouldn't find them.
Can't find what you can't see
can you?
Analysis
In "American History" Michael S. Harper talks about how the four black girls that were killed in an Alabama church remind him of the mistreatment that can be seen though out American's history. Harper uses literary devices to help the make sure his reader understand what African Americans have been though.
Literary Devices
- Allusion: "middle passage" -referring to the journey Africans would have to take to come to work for Americans.
- Imagery: "in a net, under water in Charleston harbor" Harper wants the reader to have a better understanding of what African Americans went through to turn into a tool for the whites.
- Cliche : "Can't find what you can't see can you?" - We feel like Harper is saying that because a lot of people don't see African Americans as equals and look past them.
- Diction: "blown", "under water", "redcoats"- show danger and torture
- Speaker: Sees the discrimination that African American have been though, throughout history and thinks its time for change.
- Audience: The american government and Charleston
- Purpose: To help create sympathy for people who are being discriminated against
Michael S. Harper
He was an American poet and English professor. His poetry was influence by jazz and history. Was born in 1938 and died in 2016.