People have been oppressed in different societies throughout history in situations where they had no outlet for their cry. When they feel ignored and restricted in other forms, they turn to poetry to pass a passionate yet concealed message. A good number of poets of resistance have grabbed the mantle and given a voice to the troubles of their society. Here are some of them and their famous verses.
Langston Hughes is a famous social activist and columnist who hailed from Joplin in Missouri. He is famous for leading the Harlem Renaissance from New York City. He has a list of over 15 poetry collections to his name. Among the most famous poems is I Look at the World where he regards the world of the blacks as fenced and thus rallies them to rise up and build the world they envision.
Among the most famous female resistance poets is Maya Angelou. This lady from St. Louis in Missouri is also credited with authoring numerous books and being a memoirist. Because of her contribution and participation in social justice transformation, she has more than 50 honorary degrees. Caged Bird is on of her iconic verses that point at a cry for freedom among the oppressed. She uses the analogy of two birds, one that flies and another that is caged.
Denise Levertov trains her barrel pen on the Vietnam War. She views it as one of the worst injustices meted on innocent people. She uses different artistic forms including diary entries, news casts and conversations. Most of them feature battles between individuals and groups which represent the government. Making Peace is her most famous verse where she advocates for a pause so that people can ponder about peace.
Jamaica witnessed the birth of Claude McKay in 1889, who would grow to join the Harlem Renaissance and be regarded as a famous communist. Claude refuses the communist tag but remains a prolific crusader in his poetry, fiction and non-fictional works. If We Must Die is among his best pieces where he urges the oppressed to fight other than watch their oppressors laugh at their misery. Even at death, they must remain noble by fighting back.
In 1915, Margret Walker was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She became a prominent member of the African American literary movement operating from Chicago. She is famous for the verse, For My People which addresses a complacent people who are comfortable in oppression. She pushes them to fight by rising from their slumber and instigating for change.
If there is a clear and simplistic protest poet, it is Hirshfield Jane. The poet and essayist was a pioneer graduate from Princeton University where she was part of the first class that had female students. Among her famous works is Let Them Not Say, a verse warning evil doers that they are being watched and their acts are known to the public.
The beautiful pieces were not meant to drastically change humanity but to awaken the consciousness of masses. It jolted people to action and warned disports that the oppressed subjects were watching. There are more poets who resisted different scenarios and sort to awaken social consciousness through their verses.
Langston Hughes is a famous social activist and columnist who hailed from Joplin in Missouri. He is famous for leading the Harlem Renaissance from New York City. He has a list of over 15 poetry collections to his name. Among the most famous poems is I Look at the World where he regards the world of the blacks as fenced and thus rallies them to rise up and build the world they envision.
Among the most famous female resistance poets is Maya Angelou. This lady from St. Louis in Missouri is also credited with authoring numerous books and being a memoirist. Because of her contribution and participation in social justice transformation, she has more than 50 honorary degrees. Caged Bird is on of her iconic verses that point at a cry for freedom among the oppressed. She uses the analogy of two birds, one that flies and another that is caged.
Denise Levertov trains her barrel pen on the Vietnam War. She views it as one of the worst injustices meted on innocent people. She uses different artistic forms including diary entries, news casts and conversations. Most of them feature battles between individuals and groups which represent the government. Making Peace is her most famous verse where she advocates for a pause so that people can ponder about peace.
Jamaica witnessed the birth of Claude McKay in 1889, who would grow to join the Harlem Renaissance and be regarded as a famous communist. Claude refuses the communist tag but remains a prolific crusader in his poetry, fiction and non-fictional works. If We Must Die is among his best pieces where he urges the oppressed to fight other than watch their oppressors laugh at their misery. Even at death, they must remain noble by fighting back.
In 1915, Margret Walker was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She became a prominent member of the African American literary movement operating from Chicago. She is famous for the verse, For My People which addresses a complacent people who are comfortable in oppression. She pushes them to fight by rising from their slumber and instigating for change.
If there is a clear and simplistic protest poet, it is Hirshfield Jane. The poet and essayist was a pioneer graduate from Princeton University where she was part of the first class that had female students. Among her famous works is Let Them Not Say, a verse warning evil doers that they are being watched and their acts are known to the public.
The beautiful pieces were not meant to drastically change humanity but to awaken the consciousness of masses. It jolted people to action and warned disports that the oppressed subjects were watching. There are more poets who resisted different scenarios and sort to awaken social consciousness through their verses.
About the Author:
Read the inspiring poets of resistance by logging on to the main website now. The posts appear on this page at http://alikibarnstone.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment