Primer+For+Blacks+II

Primer for Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks (p. 969)




 * 2.Gwendolyn Brooks was born on July 7, 1917 in Topeka, Kansas. She has been writing poetry for a very long time, and her style is influenced by her mother during her earlier years as a child. Her mother declared that Gwendolyn would grow up to become "A Lady Paul Donbar". Ms. Brooks tends to write from more intimate knowledge reinforced by her own life struggles.

3.The title of the poem is "Primer for Blacks". To me, no, the title of the poem doesn’t suggest the poem's subject or theme because the poem sounds like it's trying to influence Blacks to be strong and not to be upset that their black because black is beautiful.

4.This poem is dramatic poem and the author is speaking. The situation is the fact that black people are beginning to hate the fact that they are black because they have been put down so much by the white people. In the poem it sounds like the author is fed up with the races problems going on.This poem is talking in monologue because the author is speaking in it the whole time. One example of monologue in the poem when she states, "blackness is a title,is a preoccupation, is a commitment blacks are to comprehend."

"Primer for Blacks" is, in fact, divided into stanzas. There are a total of 5 lines per stanza. However, each line does not express a complete thought like a paragraph.  7. This poem is ironic, because when you look at the title and knowing what the title means you wouldn't really think she would be talking about the fact of the black people are acting the way they are or the author would state what she stated.

The poem “Primer for Blacks” is, in my opinion, about the basics of being a black man or black woman. Being black, back in that time, was a hard thing to deal with. However, this title has somewhat of a hidden message. A primer is a basic handbook. So to me the title “Primer for Blacks” really means “A Basic Handbook for Blacks”. Author Gwendolyn Brooks really wrote this poem to teach blacks the basics of life. “…To salute and to Love the fact that we are Black, which is our ‘ultimate Reality’ ”(Brooks 970) tells the reader that Blackness is something to be proud of. Brooks also goes on to say that Blackness is a beautiful thing, and even when it’s just “one drop-one drop”(Brooks 969), you are Black. “Blackness is a title, is a preoccupation, is a commitment to Blacks.”(Brooks 969). To be Black is something prideful to Brooks in this poem. To her, there is nothing wrong with it, and she loves her heritage and her people. “Primer for Blacks” is a salute to Black people, helping others to understand the struggle of being an African-American back in the 1980’s when segregation was still strong. “Primer for Blacks” is a poem that is trying to teach Black people that Black is beautiful and it’s honestly and truly nothing to be ashamed of. Primer: noun An elementary textbook that serves as an introduction to a subject of study or is used for teaching children to read. “Primer for Blacks” is trying to teach Black Americans that black is beautiful, powerful, nothing to be ashamed of. The author is trying to portray these following traits when she states, “The word Black has geographic power pulls everyone in.” This statement simply means that black is something that stands out because of insensible power that it has. Another statement that proves these traits is when she states, “All of you- you COLORED ones, you NEGRO ones, those of you who proudly cry I’m half INDian.” I believe this statement mean that no matter what you are whether it be half black or fully black be proud of what you are because at the end of the day you are what you are and that is BLACK. This next quote is showing the fact that black is outstanding and it sticks out, “ Blackness is a title, is a preoccupation.” When the author says this she is trying to say that black is something to be proud of because it’s different and it will stick out. As a result this poem mean power and is also trying to stress that fact that black should be proud of what they are, even if they have another nationality within them. **