USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In this poem Bontemps uses the metaphor of farming to express the bitterness felt by blacks in a racist America. He talks about how black Americans have labored for a long time only to look and see white Americans reap, or harvest, the benefits.

Detailed explanation-2: -This poem did not just speak of reaping but of everything the blacks did that they did not get recognized for. The speaker is a farmer, has children and nephews, and has worked very hard on his crops for many years.

Detailed explanation-3: -How do lines 1-4 of the poem “From the Dark Tower” contribute to the speaker’s message? It warns people that African Americans will not accommodate racism. Use “Poems of the Harlem Renaissance” to answer this question: Read lines 5-8 of “A Black Man Talks of Reaping."

Detailed explanation-4: -Lines 1–14: Compare Cullen’s poem to “Song of the Son” by Toomer. Both poems talk about slavery. Both poems use the metaphor of crops/planting. Cullen’s focus is on waiting to overcome injustice while Toomer focuses on maintaining the memory of slavery’s history.