Robert Hayden touches on the subject of slavery with a morbid and religious experience, he talks grimily about the boats and how the slaves were kept during transport and how God had no mercy on them as they traveled. Most of the poems I have read about slavery and about overcoming a persevering through the hard times, they have talked about being mistreated, death, starvation and cruelty. Hayden goes into more detail than I can imagine and does not hold back, he makes sure when you read his poem that you feel what has been felt by every man, woman and child going through those devastating times. "Deep in the festering hold thy father lies, the corpse of mercy rots with him, rats eat love's rotten gelid eyes." (Hayden, 2375). He uses religion
