Abel Meeropol: The Strangest Fruit

The Strangest Fruit “Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees… The bulgin’ eyes and the twisted mouth… the sudden smell of burnin’ flesh” (Meeropol). The poem “Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropol and published in 1937 was a poem that not only disturbed many, but made them realize the appalling actions of the whites encouraging to lynch many blacks on August 7, 1930. After the poem was published on April 20,1930, it was soon sung by famous singer Billie Holiday who originally brought the poem to many people's attention and was named her most iconic song. Abel Meeropol began high school at Dewitt Clinton High School and graduated in 1921. He later taught English at the same high school for seventeen years. Meeropol was said to be very disturbed at the photo of whites lynching black people that he wrote a poem about it. Overall, the poem made me very …show more content…
For example, “Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees” (Meeropol). This example is talking about the weird and interesting fruit that is hanging from trees. The fruit is resembling the black people that were lynched by the white people on August 7, 1930. The second poetic element that the author uses is personification. For example, “Here is a strange and bitter crop” (Meeropol). This quote from the poem “Strange Fruit” describes personification because the fruit that is hanging from the trees has human-like features. For example, “Southern trees bear a strange fruit” (Meeropol), this “fruit” resembles the people hanging from the trees in the south. The third, and last, poetic element that the author, Abel Meeropol, uses in his poem is imagery. For example, “the bulgin’ eyes and the twisted mouth… the sudden smell of burnin’ flesh” (Meeropol). When you read the poem “Strange Fruit”, you can picture the disturbing scene in your mind while reading the words. Overall, the author uses many poetic elements to make the poem as successful as it