Album Analysis: The Harlem Renaissance

Poetry Album Analysis over the “Harlem Renaissance”

The Harlem Renaissance was an impactful cultural movement that took place in the 1920s and 1930s in Harlem, New York. It was a time of artistic, literary, and intellectual growth for African Americans, who had been oppressed for centuries. This poetry album about the Harlem Renaissance is an excellent testament to the creativity and passion of the poets who contributed to this cultural movement. Through a deep analysis of the themes and motifs present in the album, we can gain a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of this period in history.

The poems in the album cover three main motives including collaborative acts, such as coming together to point out unfair racial standards

The intended themes from the album include: Not receiving what they worked for, unfair social dynamics, and redemption. In “A Black Man Talks of Reaping”, a man talks about how he still has a fear that all he has worked for will be taken away. The man mentioned how the fear was “deep within his heart” (Line 2) implying the after effects of slavery and an unaccepting American community. He also mentioned how he gave so much, but received little back. He explains how his brothers are able to reap more than him and his children, implying that those of higher privilege during the time period, whether socioeconomically or racially, are able to benefit from his work. Another poem that ties in these themes is named “Yet do I Marvel”. This poem is a discussion of God and why God does the things that he chooses to do, even if some of them may be as bad as slavery or oppression. He also cleverly threw in “the tortured Tantalus” (Line 5) which is an old Greek myth about someone who has water up to their neck that they can't even drink and fruit above their head that they can't grab. This closely correlates back to his talk of god, because it asks what the motivation to have these things happen is if it's not in god's reach. This draws a

Just because slavery didn't exist did not mean they were treated excellently, especially for their accomplishments while it existed. In “Saturday's Child” the first three stanzas talk about birth and how some people are born into better situations than others, being a commentary on being born in the african american community being born into adversity and an unaccepting society. Being “born on saturday” (Line 13) represents them being born in a brutal time period for african americans, who face adversity. This ties in well because it represents another African American citizen waiting for their rights and wishing they were born in a different time. They mention how they never had a fair shot at life because “death cut the strings that gave me life” (Line 17). The next poem in following theme the album is “From the Dark Tower”, which shows a connection of others reaping the benefit and being taken advantage of for their hard work, connecting with “A Black Man Talks of Reaping”, this poem also touches on the aspect of not being able to reap their own achievements. There is a sense of social