Jayne Cortez as a Poet during the Black Arts Movement - Essay Example

CRA II: Line/Sentence Introduction Jayne Cortez was a poet during the Black Arts Movement. The poet wrote poems that focused on the oppression of African Americans. The oppression highlighted in Jayne Cortez’s poems takes the shape of women who are raped, the segregation of African Americans and the exploitation of people of African origin. Jayne Cortez was concerned about the discrimination, exploitation and unfair treatment of African Americans and women (Christian 235). Cortez’s poem, “There It Is” highlights these themes. The poem uses powerful imagery and parallel structure to motivate people living in third world countries to rise up against any form of oppression or exploitation. Jayne Cortez’s poem was important to the Black Arts Movement and fight against the oppression of African Americans and people from third world countries. Jayne Cortez wrote the poem as a powerful and succinct analysis of the situation of these people (Christian 235). The poem is an intense commentary of the society and cacophony of experience. “There it is” merges the qualities of strong imagery, political insights and intense rhythmic patterning. These are important to the poem given the fact that it intends to speak about the oppression and abuses of third world people. The poem is used to as an example of how poetry can be used as a space for filtering notions of upheaval. Map of the Poem’s Formal Devices Jayne Cortez employs parallel structures to explain her ideas in the poem. Cortez uses the parallel structures in a similar fashion to Patrick Henry’s “Speech at the Virginia Convention”. In Cortez’s poem, the phrase “if we do not” has been repeated three times in order to emphasize the importance of the subject to take action. According to the poem, the subjects must resist, organize, fight and unify against the enemy (Christian 236). This will also help them to eliminate the instances of oppression. The phrase also emphasizes the importance of the subjects to gain the powers that will enable them to control their lives. Repeating the phrase three times enables her to offer instructions to her readers. This also sets up the poem as an action and consequence statement poem. The first stanza in the poem has 4 lines while the second stanza has 8 lines. The first stanza can be a considered as a quatrain, or a stanza that has four lines, which are written in a rhyming scheme. The second stanza is an octave. The poem uses an if-then syntax. First the author begins by stating “if we do not fight”, which is followed by the “then” statement. The author begins by stating that “if people do not act” then they will wear different expressions that indicate they are being oppressed (Christian 236). The syntax of the poem is stretched in its two stanzas. In each of the cases, the outcomes of a situation or action are dependent on the “if” part of the stanza. The line length used in the poem varies depending on the idea in the line. The first line has a length of five words while the next line has four words. The line with the most words is the fourth line, which has eight words. The shortest line has four words. The poem is characterized by the abrupt change in line length, in addition to the frequent repeat of some of the lines and words. Cortez has used enjambed lines in the poem. Enjambment has been used in the poem has a strategy that allows the author to use incomplete syntax. The meaning of one line runs over to the next poetic line without the use of terminal punctuation. One of the abilities of Cortez was the use of enjambment and tone to disarm and hide conversations. In this poem, the meaning of the first line runs over to the next poetic line. The poem begins by giving the reader a condition. The second, third and fourth lines emphasize on the need for action to be taken against the oppressor. These lines have been enjambed in order to emphasize the author’s idea. This strategy has also been used in the second stanza. Jayne Cortez used imagery as an important formal device. Imagery is used as a device that will motivate oppressed people to rise up against the enemy. The poem is filled with images, which most of her readers are afraid to see. For instance, she asks her subjects to rise up against the oppressor. In this case, the author instigates them to take arm against the oppressor. Jayne Cortez uses incisive lines that have vivid imagery in order to criticize the society. In this case, imagery does not leave room for the reader to question the intentions of the author. She expresses her non-complacency with violent attacks and war, and their lasting memories and imagery. Imagery in the poem can be felt in the second stanza where Cortez states that in case her subject fails to act, they will wear, “the exaggerated look of captivity, the stylized look of submission and the bizarre look of suicide” (Christian 237). Cortez uses simple phrasing in her poem in order to enable her readers to understand the poem. The simple phrasing is supported with repetition and powerful adjectives. The parallel structures and formal devices are important to the poem because they help readers understand the author’s ideas and themes. In the first stanza, the poem begins by telling people that, “if they don’t” act, then they will face the consequences of their failure to act (Christian 237). The poem describes these consequences as the look of captivity, suicide and submission. Cortez states these consequences using parallel structures. Cortez begins by using the word “the”, which is followed by an adjective and the word “look”. She ends the line by giving the reader an insight into the look. For instance, the phrases, “the dehumanized look of fear” and “the exaggerated look of captivity” use powerful adjectives (Christian 237). This means that the subjects do not have other options. In case they fail to fight, they will have to wear these expressions. Cortez’s choice of the word “wear” is intriguing because it implies that the expression can be removed. The author uses this approach in order to make the reader aware of the situation or setting of the poem. Powerful adjectives have been used in the poem in order to emphasize the author’s point or idea. Adjectives such as dehumanized, bizarre and decomposed have been strategically used to create mental images, which enable the reader to understand what will happen in case the subjects do not fight. The end of the poem impacts on the reader because it uses a statement that implies that there is no easy way out of oppression. The ending implies that people who are subjected to oppression, but fail to rise up against the oppressor are oppressed indefinitely (Christian 238). The last line state, “And there it is” in order to show the reader or audience that her suggestions on how to end oppression are simple and clear. The author is simply stating that in case people do not stand up against oppression, they will be forced to wear the expressions of submission indefinitely. Cortez uses a firm and consistent approach against racism, oppression and cultural marginality. The poem is a call to the oppressed to swiftly end the imposed dehumanization. She demands the establishment of equality and order in the society. Conclusion Jayne Cortez’s poem, “There it is” is about revolution and sacrifice. The poem is informed by the language of the Civil Rights Movement. The author of the poem stands as a spokesperson of the Black Arts Movement and the civil rights movement. The poem asserts Cortez’s commitment to reach to other people who have been oppressed. In order to reach out to these people, the author composed the poem and used formal devices such as stanza structure, repetition, imagery and syntax. The line length used in the poem has been designed to enable readers understand the poem. Each line expresses an idea. However, in some of the cases, the lines have been used to reinforce the idea. This happens in cases where the author uses repetition. The author also uses vivid imagery and powerful adjectives to enable the reader understand the themes in the poem. Work Cited Christian, Barbara. There It Is: The Poetry Of Jayne Cortez. Callaloo. No 26. 2006. Page 235-239. Read More