Strange Fruit: Poem Analysis

“You see there’s leaders and there’s followers/but I’d rather be a dick than a swallower” (14- 15). A lyric from “New Slaves” is able to depict that even after the abolishment of slavery; we are still slaves to consumers. "Strange Fruit" by Lewis Allan was written in 1939. This song depicts the harshness and brutality the minorities dealt with at the time when slavery was most evident. Numerous years later, Kanye West came out with a song title "New Slaves" in 2013. This song draws connections to the past and the way in which these people were treated. This song is a well thought out product that compares the treatment of minorities then and the treatment of minorities now. Although both poems were written years apart, each song brings up very …show more content…
In the first verse of the song “Strange Fruit”, Allen jumps right into the subject of brutality and the way in which how African American people were treated at that time. “Blood on the leaves and blood at the root” (2) is a sentence that makes reference to a time in the 1930’s when African American people suffered from lynching because of the color of their skin. Because there is blood on the root, this brings up the idea that this has gone on for a long time since the blood is at the root in comparison to the blood on the leaves being fresh. In addition, the blood on the root could be taken as a liquid that is hydrating the tree and giving it life. This could be a metaphor stating that the African American people are the reason why the economy in America was strong because they were often involved in the flourishing cotton industry. “Then the sudden smell of burning flesh” (8) in literal terms paints a picture of an African being burned to death for the color of their skin. This line paints an image of the inhumanity that was practiced through lynch mobs. In comparison, Kanye West’s song “New Slaves” puts an emphasis on the slavery and racism that was prominent in the years before and the years present. Kanye includes a partial line from “Strange Fruit” to bring a sense of awareness to the song and the meaning behind this lyric. “I see the blood on the leaves” …show more content…
A lyric in the song “Strange Fruit” is ironic because this line paints a picture of how the South is holy and pure. “Pastoral scene of the gallant South” (5) paints a beautiful picture of how the South is full of people that are brave and courageous which does hold true in some context. The irony is that the South is full of brave and courageous people, but not because the South is holy and pure, but instead because the people fought to stay alive in such dire circumstances. If you were not the subject of prejudice and segregation, the South was beautiful and pure. The line, “Southern trees bear strange fruit” (1) paints a literal image of the trees in the South holding a different type of fruit. In this case, the strange fruit makes reference to humans being hanged. This idea brings back the idea of segregation and how even in today’s society, we are subject to a form of segregation. West is able to pull from knowledge and facts as his mom was raised in an era when only those who were privileged were able to have the benefits of life. “My momma was raised in the era when/ Clean water was only served to the fairer skin” (1, 2) goes back to the late 1950’s and 60’s when slavery was over but segregation was still evident. This song contradicts the lyric of “Strange Fruit” as this lyric puts emphasis that the South was a great place to live if you were racially