http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/177824
This poem is not an easy one to denote. The speaker uses the motifs of sexual innuendos, setting, and duality to justify the a piece of history that she wanted her audience to be aware of. In stanza 2, the speaker mentions “LBJ.” Lyndon Baines Johnson was often referred to as LBJ, and he just so happened to be the 36th President of the United States. She continues on with stating that “he doesn’t give a good ----- what [she] thinks.” This one stanza ties the entire poem together. It explains that although America was supposed to be “for the people”, authority makes it clear that they don’t care about what “she” thinks. (Whereas Giovanni uses “she” as symbolization for “us” or the African Americans.) The sexual innuendo came within the last line found in stanza two. “Else why would he continue to masturbate in public” expresses her dislike towards authority figures such as LBJ who showed no consideration or appreciation for a Black man’s input. Instead people like him please themselves by the seeing the destruction of the public. This poem was very deep and intelluctually sound. The settings within the poem change the atmosphere from a subtle one to a powerful one. The symbols she uses in the last stanza shows her appriciation for her people and how she wants to see them rise up. As Giovanni rights “When Stokely is in The Black House and all will be right with Our World” where Stokely represented the African American population at the time. Stokely Carmichael (aka Kwame Ture) was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. By concluding the poem with stating that “our world” will be alright when he is elected into office, she is stating that a black man in office would suggest change for the world.
This poem is not an easy one to denote. The speaker uses the motifs of sexual innuendos, setting, and duality to justify the a piece of history that she wanted her audience to be aware of. In stanza 2, the speaker mentions “LBJ.” Lyndon Baines Johnson was often referred to as LBJ, and he just so happened to be the 36th President of the United States. She continues on with stating that “he doesn’t give a good ----- what [she] thinks.” This one stanza ties the entire poem together. It explains that although America was supposed to be “for the people”, authority makes it clear that they don’t care about what “she” thinks. (Whereas Giovanni uses “she” as symbolization for “us” or the African Americans.) The sexual innuendo came within the last line found in stanza two. “Else why would he continue to masturbate in public” expresses her dislike towards authority figures such as LBJ who showed no consideration or appreciation for a Black man’s input. Instead people like him please themselves by the seeing the destruction of the public. This poem was very deep and intelluctually sound. The settings within the poem change the atmosphere from a subtle one to a powerful one. The symbols she uses in the last stanza shows her appriciation for her people and how she wants to see them rise up. As Giovanni rights “When Stokely is in The Black House and all will be right with Our World” where Stokely represented the African American population at the time. Stokely Carmichael (aka Kwame Ture) was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. By concluding the poem with stating that “our world” will be alright when he is elected into office, she is stating that a black man in office would suggest change for the world.
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