Brain on Ice vs. Black Tar - Essay Example

Lecturer: Brain on ice vs. Black tar Introduction Brain on Ice, a poem written by Michael Warr, is an exceptional example of the paranoia metaphor in the contemporary times whose title provides immediate conceptual undertones. It is about a subway train in the city, and the prevailing tone in the whole poem creates a serious tension that clearly shows caution, distrust as well as fear. On the other hand, Black Tar by Toni Morison is a portrayal of a love affair between Son and Jadine, who are black Americans hailing from varying worlds.

From citizen: “You are in the dark, in the car…” by Claudia Rankine, opens an account of casual racism that is delivered in the second person in a unique informal move where the use of “you” by the speaker is fluid. In most of the cases, it is the speaker herself, but in some instances, it involves the reader or a different character with haunting results. The poetic form in this work can be considered as a manifestation of the divide that is evident in American lives in regards to invisible racism and other aspects.

Brain on ice vs. Black tar In the poem Brain on ice, terms like “terrorized” and “horror” portray a fierce and passionate mood in the perception of the narrator on the El Train, with the line “Of being robbed, stabbed, raped” honing the superimposed theme of the poem (Warr). The narration of the poem starts with an account of the El Train experience with the narrator making himself the terrorist in the view of other people regardless of being innately innocent. What makes the poem interesting is the fact that it does not have a predictable direction and its language creates open metaphors including the empty seat that it refers to as “undefiled seat” (Warr).

The seat is not dirty since in the thoughts of the author, all the introverts and withdrawn passengers will perceive the individual who sits on it as being possibly dirty. Fear is usually impractical and based on a lacking of knowledge, and the poet is aware of this as well as the fact that human beings are not able to escape it. Conversely, in the Black Tar, as Son and Jadine come together, the involvement separates the impressions as well as self-deceptions that were holding together the world as well as how people related with each other at the estate.

They journey back to the US to seek a place where they will have a sense of belonging only to discover that their homes have spite for each other. The author writes in what can be considered as black vernacular while borrowing figures of speech and phrases that are exclusive to the community where she was raised. Her novel is themed with rhythms from spirituals, gospel and jazz in the process of exploring various issues such as the attempt by the African American culture to differentiate itself from the white culture, legacies of slavery as well as the continuing struggle to achieve equality.

Conclusion In Brain on ice as well as Black Tar, the poet and the author have a distinct and unique manner of putting across their views and thoughts. The language used in both works is unique and demonstrate the backgrounds of the writers. The writers to create an impression of the realities in the society and the manner in which those who experience them perceive them, use the poem and the novel. Work cited Warr, Michael. We Are All The Black Boy. Chicago: Tia Chucha Press, 1991. Print.