[stylist] Black History Month - a Poem

Wed Feb 6 19:48:31 UTC 2013

Jackie

Thank you for the 3 attachments!!! I read them all. The poem and article
about Miss Brooks (written by Miss Smith) were good reading! And I enjoyed
your "We Real Old" poem! (Sounded like I'm fitting it closer every day.)

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jacqueline
Williams
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 1:17 PM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] Black History Month - a Poem

Well, I forgot the attachments. Here goes again. I have put in the two
poems, plus an article about Gwendolyn Brooks. 
Jackie
Jackie

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 7:22 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Black History Month - a Poem

February is Black History Month. . .

 I was initially scheduled to do a lesson on the poetry of African Americans
in December. I have been struggling with health issues, and been recovering
from surgery since the beginning of January. Therefore, I thought I would
bring you some poems of African American poets during February. I will post
some poems by different black poets from time to time during this month. I
think you will really enjoy meeting some poets you may not be familiar with,
and maybe revisit some you already know.

This morning I would like to introduce you to Gwendolyn Brooks. She was born
in Topeka, Kansas  (1917) but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She is generally
considered an Illinois poet. In her earlier years, prior to 1967,  she
focused on depicting the characters of her race, to bring them to life on
the page.  The local people of her neighborhood were the subject of her
poems. She passed away on December 3, 2000.

I had the privilege of attending a writing workshop for poetry one afternoon
at Slippery Rock University of PA. Gwendolyn was the poet in residence that
day and budding poets could read a poem for her and she would respond to it.
She was so gentle and kind, and encouraging to the young students who read
for her.  When one of them said, with hesitation, that she had self
published a chap book of her work.  Brooks looked at her and said, "You do
not need to feel apologetic about publishing your own book. It is a book
after all. You wrote a book. You have a published book. That is something to
be proud of."

In 1967 Gwendolyn Brooks'  work changed after she took a workshop at Fisk
University and met other black poets, such as Amiri Baraka. She had a "New
Awakening" through this experience. I have always been aware that an
encounter with one person can change your life forever, and this was
certainly true for Brooks.

Brooks' first book was published in 1945. She won a Pulitzer Prize; and was
Poet Laureate of Illinois. She succeeded Carl Sandburg in that position.  

I am posting a link so you can hear her read her poem, "A Song in the Front
Yard."  It is from 1963, one of the earlier poems where she describes what
she sees and thinks about the people in her neighborhood.

As you listen or read this poem you can think about the carefully chosen
words. This poem is full of symbols - you might try to identify some of them
and then think about what she is conveying to the reader through the
symbolism. Her symbols begin before you even start reading the poem..look at
the title of it. Begin there.

 Listen  to Brooks read her poem "A Song in the Front Yard" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWA6V3OaoR8

You can read the text copy of this poem by opening up the attachment. Enjoy!

Lynda Lambert, BFA, MA, MFA
104 River Road
Ellwood City, PA 16117

724 758 4979

My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com