Dear White America
by Danez Smith
is a poem about the disparity between black people and white people in America and and his condemnation it. when loss and abuse is common from oppression, it can lead to individuals who tries to accept the suffering that will lead themselves to want to escape from oppression. This is a huge problem in America that pervades to the root of their culture and history.
One of the main issues the author brings up in the poem is the multiple deaths he has gone through in his life and how he wishes that god could bring them back. As quoted in the line
“I want Chucky, Bo, Meech, Trayvon, Sean & Jonylah risen three days after their entombing, their ghost re-gifted flesh & blood, their flesh & blood re-gifted their children”.
He has also given reasons for these deaths in what he calls white bread voodoo referring to how the police are the ones killing his brothers and sisters. The internalized racism in the police system and the countless deaths caused out of these preconceived notions are glanced over by people because they’re planning their brunch.
Another big part of his poem is how he’s left earth for another planet. This is how he expresses that he doesn’t want to be apart of the America that kills his brothers and sisters, though he is forced to be apart of it against his will; they were forced to even though they did not build the boats that brought them there, they did not build the prisons they are trapped in and they did not ask to join America. He sees people not a skin colour but is asked why its always about race. He wants a place where his brothers and sisters can live freely without pain or suffering.This all stems from the internalized racism that America has. He brings about the fact that its not them doing it to themselves but its white people who are killing his brothers be that through the system of police or destroying their history his people have had through out America. The white America is against the black parts of America even though they say they aren’t.
We shoot children too, don’t we
by Dan Almagor
is a poem about the Israeli and Palestinian conflict that has been going on since the 1950’s and brutality of the war itself. he sees the similarities between what Israel is currently doing to Palestine as to what has happened to the Ukrainian Jews by the Tsar soldiers, the Israeli militarism will not end in Israel staying the home of the Jewish.
Almagor makes a point of saying that none of these people, the Palestinians and the Israelis wanted to have a full scale war where both sides have casualties each day. They just want to live their lives in peace and be normal people who are proud of their country. But the people of both sides still push that the other must go for them to live in safety. The Israeli military who has a past of atrocities against the Muslim people of Palestine and blame the Islamic extremists of Palestine for why they have to fight and the people of Palestine who fight against the expanse of the Israeli state using “terrorist” tactics. Both sides perpetuating the conflict in a never ending cycle till one state is declared true and has full control over all the land, the Israeli state or the Palestinian state.
What Almagor has seen in the past and present of Israel through his time of being a lyricist for the Israeli government writing “Israeli macho culture and military heroism” now as a professor of Hebrew literature, he sees the history of racism that has pervaded their culture for a long time.
“Mean, arrogant, and dumb.
Who do we think we are?
Who gave us the right
To be so deaf, so dumb?
Ignoring the obvious: They are as human
As we are, as we are.
At least as human as we used to be
Only forty-one years ago.
No less diligent, no less smart.
As sensitive, as full of hope.
They love their wives and children
As we do, no less.
And our children now shoot theirs
With lead, plastic bullets, and gas.”
Israel makes it out as though they are not people just the terrorists who want to get rid of the Jewish birth place, even though most of these people are not what Israel makes them out to be. Most of the Palestinian people do not want the conflict they were forced into by the minority population of extremists who also affect the Palestinian people themselves.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/poll-more-voters-acknowledge-symptoms-racism-disagree-about-its-causes-n1234363
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet-books/2016/01/an-interview-with-danez-smith-at-public-books
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/numbers-versus-narratives-israel-palestine
Dear Hudson,
I really enjoyed these pieces that you have wrote. How you went into such detail when analyzing Danez Smith’s poem and how you used words such as “condemnation” to really express the strong disapproval that Danez portrayed towards what is happening in America today. I also really enjoyed the pictures you decided to choose as I think they perfectly portray all of your three essays. A couple things I would ask you to do is to ensure that you are capitalizing and reading over your work as there was some times that it was a little difficult to read. In your analysis of “We Shoot Children Too, Don’t We?” I really applaud you for looking at both sides of the story and not just talking about one. It shows how open you are to being the devils advocate which for most people is a very hard thing to do. So, again thank you for writing this piece as I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
From,
Annika
Dear Hudson,
I really enjoyed reading this piece of writing. I really liked how you broke down your thoughts and made it so that this important issue is addressed in a very detailed manner. I also really like how you formatted your writing in a way that was eye catching, as well as your choice of photos really fit with what you were trying to say. One thing that you could work on for the future would be to make sure you use proper punctuation just to make your writing flow. Both poems were analyzed very well with lots of detail and ensured that every accept of these issues we brought to light. All in all, amazing work.
Sincerely, Ayah
Dear Hudson,
Your analysis of the poem was able to give me great insight in terms of understanding the poem in a perspective that differs from mine. Speaking about the poem while showing a stanza in order to reaffirm or enhance your ideas makes the depth of your understanding that much better.
I believe providing your own perspective on the situations at hand or on the contents of the poem may have both enhanced your writing but also assisted in the ability of the reader to understand you more. I’d also recommend you try and add a bit more flow to your writing as the blockiness of it can be slightly distracting.
Overall your writing was very reflective of the issues being spoken about and therefore was great to read.
Sincerely,
Simon