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Gwendolyn Bennet Heritage

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Gwendolyn Benntts poem “Heritage” represents the importance of African heritage as an African American and the exploration of identity. Written in 1923 during the Harlem Renaissance, the poem was greatly influenced by the time period issues, Jim Crow laws and racism, which allows the author to dive deep into the historical challenges of being African American. This creates a feeling of longing and desire by using literary devices such as imagery and diction. Doing this allows her to shine light on the resilience of the African American community and the importance of connecting with your culture. Bennet uses diction to help emphasize the speaker longing to connect with her heritage. The speaker wants to feel the uprising of her sad people's souls that is covered by all the hate and discrimination in her society. The speaker states, “I want to feel the surging/ Of my sad people’s soul/ Hidden by a minstrel-smile.” (Bennett). The African American community had to deal with many forms of racism and discrimination in the 1920’s due to Jim Crow laws and slavery, and often lived a life full of segregation due to White people's prejudice. The words “minstrel-smile” represent a form of racism known as black face. Where White actors would paint their face …show more content…

This led Gwendolyn Bennett and many other people in this time period to feel like they were living in a society that was not meant for them, “The geographical dislocation brings out her sense of self as a black woman living alone in a white society” (Hoffmann, 67). Being in a white society made Gwendolyn feel unwanted and isolated from her culture, feelings we can see in her poem “Heritage”. Because of slavery in America many African American lost connection to their heritage and culture which led many to have the same feeling of longing that the speaker in “Heritage”

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