Arts

The way of life and its culture Racism takes us back to the days of slavery. African Americans were spoken down and severely beaten if they did not do as told. Racism exists even today in the twenty first century and will never go away. There are two are two poems that clearly state racism taking place from beginning to end. “On the Subway” written by: Sharon Olds shows how society in the 1980’s and in today’s age separates whites from blacks. In the second poem “The Weary Blues” written by: Langston Hughes, shows the depression an African American man revealing his life trough his music. Both of these poems reveal African American people and their standards in life, reflecting off the people. In the poem “On the Subway” written by: Sharon Olds, she is stating how Caucasian still felt about African American people, even after slavery. Sharon Olds writes “We are stuck on opposite sides of the car, a couple of molecules stuck in a rod of light rapidly moving through darkness.” (Olds lines 5-7) She is expressing that the red molecules are the African American people and the white molecules are the Caucasian people. African Americans sit on the opposite side of the train away from Caucasian people. “He has the casual cold look of a mugger, alert under hooded lids.” (Olds lines 7-9). Sharon Olds gives the impression of the hooded lids because the African American man is hiding his face. The man’s shoes also reveal his outfit, “His feet are huge, in black sneakers laced with white in complex patterns like a set of international scars.” (Olds lines 2-4) This also describes the outfit being of a lower class dress form, that of a rich class woman. The international scars are stating that of slavery, when African Americans were severely stricken with whips. Sharon Olds brings more slavery into her poem by writing, “I must profit from his darkness, the way he absorbs the murderous beams of the nation’s heart as black cotton absorbs the heat of the sun and holds it. (Olds lines 23-26) Here the statement shows that of slavery in the cotton fields. That the African American man should go back to his pitiful side of the world and stay away from the inner world. The Caucasian woman portrays her racism towards the African American Man, “There is no way to know how easy this white slain makes my life.” (Olds lines 26-28) This poem symbolizes how people judge and react to another race by their clothing and color of skin. The second poem “The Weary Blues” written by: Langston Hughes also speaks about an African American man. The lonely black man is singing and speaking about how bad if a life he has lived. With racism beginning in the 1800’s and still existing in today’s age, it is hard not to listen to some good Blues tunes. “I heard a negro play.” (Langston line 3) Langston Hughes is speaking of the African American man who is playing a piano and expressing his sadness. He plays his song “Down on Lenox avenue.” (Langston line 4) Lenox Ave is a main street in Harlem, Newyork up north where African Americans began new lives, shortly after slavery. The Caucasian folks lived up in south uptown Harlem, Where the black man played his heart and soul on the banjo. He spoke of his life and of others who suffered along his side. The title “The Weary Blues” clearly states his depression. “I got The Weary Blues and I can’t be satisfied” (Langston lines 25-26) Many African Americans suffered at the hands of the white wealthy folks, during slavery. The only way to express their sorrow was through music. Its sad listening to the words of a blues tune, yet expresses all the true words. “I heard that negro sing, that old piano moon” (Langston line 18) the man thumped his foot and closed his eyes while he played the piano and expressed his sadness through his echoing voice. Both of the poems speak about African Americans and how they are judged. “On The Subway” by: Sharron Olds speaks more about the way a person’s clothing or skin color can betray the eye. It also shows how the days of slavery still make a person judge another because of color. “The Weary Blues” by: Langston Hughes also speaks about how African Americans have suffered in the days of slavery. In this instance the days of slavery have brought many tears to those who have survived the pain and suffering at a white folks hands. No matter how hard we try to get the world to understand we are all equal; there are still racists in today’s society, harsh comments, bad glares and racism is not the way to treat and kind of culture. We must all stand up for one another. We have all been inspired by Martin Luther King’s famous speech “I have a Dream”. Although, we cannot reenact the slavery days and take it all back, we should remember Martin Luther King brought us where we are today, all as one!