Part 1:
In Langston Hughes’s poem “Song for a Dark Girl” was published in 1927 which was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. This poem highlights the lynching of a young black woman which was of the norm during white supremacy. During that time, the Jim Crow laws were still in affect and it enforced the separation of races (pbs.org). For a white man to sleep with a black woman was forbidden but the white man would not be punished; the black girl would be hung and put on display like a dead animal. This poem speaks to this horrific act that would happen often during this timeframe.
Part 2:
In the poem” Yet Do I Marvel” there were a few references of mythical Greek Gods and the crimes that they committed. The poem speaks of punishment in different aspects. In the line: “Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare”, Countee Cullen is referring to the son of Zeus who was punished for stealing and murder. His punishment was starvation (english.illinois.edu). Another reference was to Sisyphus, who was also referred in Greek Mythology, was punished in Hades by repeatedly made to roll a huge stone up and down a hill because he tried to cheat death in order take control of eternity (britannica.com). …show more content…
Each reference of the rivers set the Negro in a different locations, mostly near Egypt and Africa. The rivers served as a means of survival and comfort. They were used as a source of direction, food collection and hygienic use. In the short story “Big Two-Hearted River”, Nick used the river as a means of survival as well. The river helped him find normalcy in his scorched town and scrambled mind. He used the river to find food such as trout.
In Langston Hughes’s poem “Song for a Dark Girl” was published in 1927 which was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. This poem highlights the lynching of a young black woman which was of the norm during white supremacy. During that time, the Jim Crow laws were still in affect and it enforced the separation of races (pbs.org). For a white man to sleep with a black woman was forbidden but the white man would not be punished; the black girl would be hung and put on display like a dead animal. This poem speaks to this horrific act that would happen often during this timeframe.
Part 2:
In the poem” Yet Do I Marvel” there were a few references of mythical Greek Gods and the crimes that they committed. The poem speaks of punishment in different aspects. In the line: “Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare”, Countee Cullen is referring to the son of Zeus who was punished for stealing and murder. His punishment was starvation (english.illinois.edu). Another reference was to Sisyphus, who was also referred in Greek Mythology, was punished in Hades by repeatedly made to roll a huge stone up and down a hill because he tried to cheat death in order take control of eternity (britannica.com). …show more content…
Each reference of the rivers set the Negro in a different locations, mostly near Egypt and Africa. The rivers served as a means of survival and comfort. They were used as a source of direction, food collection and hygienic use. In the short story “Big Two-Hearted River”, Nick used the river as a means of survival as well. The river helped him find normalcy in his scorched town and scrambled mind. He used the river to find food such as trout.