Art Vs. Trade By James Weldon Johnson

“Art vs. Trade” Broken Down James Weldon Johnson, the poet of “Art vs. Trade”, organized the NAACP and was a leader the Harlem Renaissance (“James”). The Harlem Renaissance was a black cultural movement in the twenties that started in Harlem, New York City (“Harlem”). As an African American poet during the Harlem Renaissance, James Weldon Johnson had a deep hatred for segregation which he was talented enough to display with words. Johnson wrote the poem “Art vs. Trade” to appeal to many different types of people in order for the Harlem Renaissance movement to rise. Also, Johnson was born and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida in the 1870s and ‘80s (“James”). After growing up in the south during these times, it is clear to see why Johnson had a feeling of racial inequality between whites and

His poetry uses similes to show the evil of oppression of African American art. In the poem, Johnson says, “Life as an Octopus with but this creed, / That all the world was made to serve his greed; Trade has spread out his mighty myriad claw, / And drawn into his foul polluted maw” (6-9). By saying this, he is comparing trade to an octopus that is destroying art. This art is what makes this world great, and destroying it is also destroying the creativity in the world. He personifies art to add a more sad feeling as “poor art with struggling gasp / Lies strangled, dying in his mighty grasp” (18-19) and asks “is there no power to rescue her, protect, defend her” (21). Johnson personification greatly enhances the meaning of the poem because of the sad and helpless feeling towards the personified art that is drawn from it. This feeling of sadness