Every African American should know the story of Emmett Till, and if they don’t they need to hear it. Emmett Till was 14 year old boy from Chicago, but during this tragedy he was in Mississippi. Emmett Till was accused of flirting with a white woman by whistling at her. Later o Emmett Till was beat to death, shot, and they tied a cotton gin fan with barbed wire around his neck and threw him into the Tallahatchie River. James Emanuel a poet wrote a poem entitled “Emmett Till” to express the desire of moving towards equality, to bring light to the situation by treating it as a children’s bedtime story, and to show imagery through the necklace coral.
James Emanuel wrote this poem in 1968 and during this time African Americans were still fight battles for equality. Around the time of Emmet Till’s death was the Civil Right Movement. During this time African Americans were fighting to be treated like the whites as well as to end slavery. When James Emanuel says, “I hear a whistling through the water. Little Emmett won’t be still” (Lines 1-4). James is referring to …show more content…
When he says, “Tell me, please, that bedtime story of the fairy river boy” (lines 9-12). This shows how James tries to make Emmett’s death have some sense of hope. Usually when a child hears a bedtime story it makes them calm and it allows them to sleep better at night. By James trying to change Emmett death to something happier like children story it gives them hope of a better life. When James does this it kind of lighting the readers towards the feeling or mood towards Emmett’s death. For me, when I read it the first time I was confused but then I realize he is trying to make the situation brighter because he knows how the people feel about Emmett’s death. It makes them what the better life where there is equality for all and not just whites only African Americans deserve the same
James Emanuel wrote this poem in 1968 and during this time African Americans were still fight battles for equality. Around the time of Emmet Till’s death was the Civil Right Movement. During this time African Americans were fighting to be treated like the whites as well as to end slavery. When James Emanuel says, “I hear a whistling through the water. Little Emmett won’t be still” (Lines 1-4). James is referring to …show more content…
When he says, “Tell me, please, that bedtime story of the fairy river boy” (lines 9-12). This shows how James tries to make Emmett’s death have some sense of hope. Usually when a child hears a bedtime story it makes them calm and it allows them to sleep better at night. By James trying to change Emmett death to something happier like children story it gives them hope of a better life. When James does this it kind of lighting the readers towards the feeling or mood towards Emmett’s death. For me, when I read it the first time I was confused but then I realize he is trying to make the situation brighter because he knows how the people feel about Emmett’s death. It makes them what the better life where there is equality for all and not just whites only African Americans deserve the same