Wind In A Box By Terrance Hayes

Terrance Hayes is the author of many compelling books of poetry. For instance some of his better known work is How to Be Drawn, Lighthead and the book focused on in this essay Wind in a Box. He has won many awards for his admired poetry. Born in South Caroline Hayes has come a long way since his days in college. In college he was a very successful basketball player, but Hayes had a hidden talent for writing poetry. Many people, including his parents, did not know Hayes wrote poetry. It was not until after publishing his first book that they all began to realize his knack for poetry. Hayes used his hidden talents to write poetry that is sophisticated, yet that is humorous at the same time. He takes many risks in his writing and does not bound …show more content…
He tells his readers how it is and does not try to mask his poetry with the simpler and more acceptable version. He confronts topics that many of us are perturbed by such as: rape, religion, and stereotypes ( http://blueflowerarts.com/artist/terrance-hayes/). His upfront and honest writing has made him an exceedingly popular poet. According to his website he has taught in many prestigious places such as: Japan, Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Currently he is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh (Terrance Hayes Website). “The Blue Seuss” is a poem written in Terrance Hayes’s Wind in a Box. In this poem Hayes discusses the timeline of African American history. Starting with slavery Hayes tracks African Americans to the modern day. The poem focuses on the progression that African Americans have endured over time. In “The Blue Seuss”, Hayes uses many literary devices such as imagery, irony, persona, and tone to accurately illustrate how far African Americans have come in their journey since …show more content…
The way it is read is almost as if it is a children’s book, but the deeper meaning is a very harsh and about freedom and equality. The tone Hayes uses is whimsical, but also genuine. He starts the poem off by saying “Blacks in one box / Blacks in two box”(WIND IN A BOX) similar to the opening words Dr. Seuss uses in his children’s book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. This use of childlike jargon sets the mood for a playful poem, but as the reader goes deeper into the poem they realize that Hayes is addressing a more serious matter. The speaker of “The Blue Seuss” could be a number of people, but the title suggests that it is a sorrowful Dr. Seuss. We assume Hayes is writing as if he were Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss also wrote in a childish way with many deeper meanings that most children did not catch and it was meant for the