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Summary Of Daybreak In Alabama And Report To Wordsworth

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“Daybreak in Alabama” and “Report to Wordsworth” are poems of the powers of art and piety, which respond in contradicting views - hope and despair. “Daybreak in Alabama” illustrates an optimistic view of the future, where different races meet in harmony and euphony; superficially, the poem paints a canvas of what a daybreak in Alabama would be, however, it is actually about racial segregation, and how the persona is inspired by religion and music to view the situation with light. On the other hand, “Report to Wordsworth” pictures a pessimistic and desperate perspective in combating the after-effects of the casualties that humans have perpetrated on nature, incorporating allusions to mythology and religion to exaggerate the extent in which the world is dying. Both poems are portraits of the influence that art and piety have on humans to respond to the tumult caused by the greed of human. Firstly, “Daybreak” defines a new start, which is possibly a biblical allusion to dying and going to heaven, evoking an image of tranquillity and serenity, where all races are equal in the “Garden of Eden”. In addition, “Alabama” is notorious for its negative symbolism of industrial slavery, yet also a place where many renown activists, such as, Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks, have protested and are commemorated in because of their works in fighting racial inequality, reinforcing the idea of hope. The free verse structure of the poem visually presents how each race is not alienated
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