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I Am Not Black Figurative Language Analysis

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The quote, “To become what one is, one must not have the faintest idea what one is.” by Friedrich Nietzche, helps us understand how figurative language deepens a person's sense of identity and belonging, disproving labels, providing empathy for the author or character, and explaining the struggles that people have gone through, especially immigrating to the Americas.
In the poem “I Am Not Black”, Prince Ea masterfully uses figurative language, showcasing the power of what it can express, and in this case, the poet's judgment on labels and how they affect identity. This is shown when he states, “. . . our bodies are just cars that we operate and drive around . . .“(Ea 19-24).”, playing a role in an extended metaphor that encompasses identity …show more content…

The extended metaphor in this stanza essentially contrasts the poem's message with a real-world scenario, particularly when he states, ¨And with no money down, 0% APR and no test drive¨ he makes this comparison that provides a deeper meaning to the …show more content…

For example, one piece of evidence is, “Or learn to stay still like statues giving no clues that we were there” (Koyzan, 67). This piece of evidence from line 67 makes use of a simile, which compares something that may be sorrowful if it was true, providing exaggeration and giving a deeper understanding of the way they felt on the inside during the course of what was being told in the poem. Furthermore, it represents the hardship and struggles they went through just to be unseen, and unscathed from the bullying that they faced just because of their identity and physical attributes, which directly affected their identity and thus gave a larger sense of belonging. My second piece of evidence is, “So broken heart strings bled the blues / As we tried to empty ourselves / So we would feel nothing” (Koyzan, 49-51). This piece of evidence is an example of hyperbole, which contrasts the idea that the language used in these lines explains what he did just to protect himself from the bullying, preventing emotion, thus, the figurative language used gives the reader a sense of identity and understanding toward the

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(Villaseñor 21). The use of hyperbole in this statement emphasizes that he hated teachers who destroyed his self-confidence. It also affects readers emotionally because it dramatizes the intensity of his thoughts. Surely, the thoughts of killing a massive group of generalized people does not cause alarm. Those who read about hearts being ripped out and responding with extreme vengeance can see the tremendous effect that these teachers had on him.

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I have interpreted these lines in one way, yet there are a million different possibilities. The author puts the words onto the paper, but the reader’s job is to interpret their own emotion, memory or belief and actually apply it to the poet’s words in order to create an

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In James Baldwin’s essay titled “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me What Is?” Baldwin highlights his major argument by capitalizing the words in the title so that it can stand out to the readers. His main idea is that all languages are equal, and there is an inequality in society where one is judged by the way they speak. Baldwin wanted the readers to understand that all languages do serve a purpose no matter how a person articulates it. Baldwin also wanted to convey that there is racism that is placed upon a black person just because of the way they speak.

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“A bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet feathers and long legs, was perched precariously, Its wings hung down loosely, and as we watched, a feather dropped away and floated slowly down through the green leaves.” In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” a bird that was out of it's environment fell from a tree and died. The bird is a symbol for Doodle and the bird represents him. When the bird dies it foreshadows Doodle's death. Hurst uses figurative language and symbolism to create a gloomy tone in his short story by using symbolism and figurative language.

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The public education system provides different quality of education for students based on their community and skin color. For African Americans, that means the public education system is designed to prevent black and brown students from a higher education. In his book I Am Not Your Negro, James Baldwin, an African American novelist and essayist, writes about three civil rights leaders who had their own beliefs when it came to racial issues in America during 1950s and 1960s. These men, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Medgar Evers, were all assassinated before the age of 40. Baldwin believes, “I can’t be a pessimist, because I am alive… I am forced to believe that we can survive whatever we must survive.

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The overall theme of the poem is sacrifice, more specifically, for the people that you love. Throughout the poem color and personification are used to paint a picture in the reader's head. “Fog hanging like old Coats between the trees.” (46) This description is used to create a monochromatic, gloomy, and dismal environment where the poem takes

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Language, Identity, and Power: Why African American Vernacular English Matters The once awe-inspiring phrase “all men are created equal” is empty and meaningless. Its once patriotic and equitable message has been lost to the horrific history of slavery in the United States. This sentiment has been echoed by many African Americans who have long felt the weight of the country's history on their shoulders. One aspect of African American culture that has been shaped by this history is African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

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“If Black English Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is” In the essay “If Black Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is” (The New York Times, 1979) written by James Baldwin, the author asserts that the African American community has altered the English language into a new language during the last five centuries to accommodate the black experience in American history despite the white’s attempt to submerge it. To begin the essay he makes his argument clear by referencing the alterations the French made to their native language to describe how people will eventually “...evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances…”; furthermore he continues to analyze how the caucasian people of America have only accepted the black language when it came out of a white mouth; he ends the essay by reinforcing his position, elaborating on the racism black’s have faced when they were denied the right to an education unless it was for the white benefit. His liberal purpose is to bring light to the subtle racism that African Americans experience even after the Civil Rights movement and to acknowledge the cultural influence they have in America. His writing appears very personal and intimate like he’s voluntarily opening up to his audience by letting them know of his own struggles as an African American, targeting mostly minorities and people who feel oppressed by white America.

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Similes in the poem such as ‘till he was like to drop’ are used to create a more descriptive image in the reader’s mind. Metaphors when saying ‘He lifted up his hairy paw’ and in many other sections of the poem to exaggerate areas to give the reader a more interesting view. So the poet can express what he is trying to prove through and entertaining way. The imagery device enhances the poem to make it stand out more so it grabs the reader attention. The poem was a very entertaining and humorous.

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(Pg4, line5-6) Through this the author is showing another exaggeration showing the reader how immature they were not to show each other their feelings, letting each other know how they feel. Through these examples, the author can show the readers many forms of hyperbole. With these, the reader can get a sense of how the character is

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“What, after all, am I? Am I an American or am I a Negro? Can I be both? Or is it my duty to cease to be a Negro as soon as possible and be an American?” W.E.B. Du Bois wrote this at the end of the 19th century, a time when a certain race was experiencing the worst conditions in America.

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The language that Conrad uses describes the woman as wild yet proud. The way she is portrayed makes her seem very important within the tribes. Conrad uses special imagery to show she is an important figure by describing what she wears and her surroundings in great detail. The figurative language Conrad is obvious because the woman is a metaphor for Africa. The diction used by Conrad is the most important part because it sets the foundation for the use of figurative language and imagery.

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The article name is “How to stay alive while being black.” It is written by Touré on Monday 2 April 2012. It is an advising report how Afro-American following the incident of the 17-year-old teenager, Trayvon Martin. The genre of the text might be a comment and a feature article from the author comes with arguments and his opinion how to survive. The themes in the article are all about racism, survival, advice and so on.

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