The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar: We Wear the Mask and When Malindy S

Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in a northern town near Dayton, Ohio on June 27, 1872 (Brawley 12). His parents instilled in him the value of an education, and he excelled at the all-white Dayton Central High-school where he held the titles of class president, the president of the school literary society, and the editor of the school's newspaper (15). Dunbar was extremely well learned; he spoke and wrote in Standard English, but just as often his poetry was written in black dialect. As one of the first professional African American literary figures (Baym 1038), Paul Laurence Dunbar's poetry consists of two distinct styles: his dialect pieces with the simple rhyme schemes of the ballad lyrical form, such as his 1897 poem When Malindy Sings, and his classical poetry that has more complex rhyme and form, and is written in Standard English like his 1897 poem, We Wear the Mask. The dialect poem, When Malindy Sings, is a result of what Dunbar called the mask, and what W.E.B. Dubois would later call double-consciousness. It portrays black society through the eyes of white America and how they wish to see it, while the poem written in classical form, We Wear the Mask, displays Dunbar’s true thoughts concerning his identity and the identity of his race. W.E.B. Du Bois introduced his concept of double-consciousness in the first chapter of Souls of Black Folk, entitled, Of Our Spiritual Strivings. He wrote that the African American is born with a â€Å"second sight† that offers â€Å"no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world† (896). Du Bois further clarifies double-consciousness as the â€Å"sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the ty... ...Benjamin. Paul Laurence Dunbar: Poet of his People. 1967 reissue. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, INC., 1967. 12. Print. Du Bois, W.E.B. â€Å"The Souls of Black Folk.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. Print. Dunbar, Paul Laurence. "When Malindy Sings." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. Print. Dunbar, Paul Laurence. â€Å"We Wear the Mask.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. Print Introduction to Paul Laurence Dunbar. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. Print. Robinson, Lillian S., and Greg Robinson. "Paul Laurence Dunbar: A Credit to His Race?" African American Review. 41.2 (2007): 218. Print.

500 Word Commentary on West London

Matthew Arnold critical commentary West London raises multiple literary observations. These include the type of language used, the structure of the poem and the use of poetic techniques, such as imagery. The first striking feature is the rhyming structure that follows the criteria of an Italian sonnet, with a slight variant in the last tercet. This can be seen as Arnold attempting to tweak the model to emphasise the final three lines. This ending can be interpreted as the heightened and emotionally charged culmination of feelings of the central characters.The Italian sonnet commonly produces a statement followed by a counter statement, by means of an octave, which consists of two quatrains, followed by a setstet which is displayed by two tercets. This poem conforms as the first two quatrains provide negatively charged language, such as â€Å"ill,† (â€Å"West London† 2) and, â€Å"their feet were bare. † (West London† 4) The mood of the poem shifts dramatic ally after the turn and the language changes, suggesting that Arnold is deliberately showing the reader opposite attitudes.This is evident by, â€Å"this spirit towers,† (â€Å"West London† 9) and â€Å"she will not ask of aliens, but of friends. † (â€Å"West London† 10) The use of the turn can be seen as an attempt to show the readers the complexity of the situation on the streets of London, during this era of industrialisation. This is further explained by the two quatrains, which display a common view of the homeless, while the sestet provides a romantic and humble image of gratitude, evidenced by how the girl, â€Å"begg'd and came back satisfied,† (â€Å"West London† 7) from the passing labour workers.The poem finishes with the image of the unfortunate girl that, â€Å"points us to a better time than ours,† (â€Å"West London† 14) which can indicate the level of ignorance of passers by. It also suggests a sense of untold experiences, due to social neglect. Various prominent images run throughout the poem. One example can be seen on lines six and seven with the girl begging the workers, which can be used in conjunction with, â€Å"of sharers in a common human fate. (â€Å"West London† 11) These images indicate a type of alienation the lower classes feel, when compared to wealthier members of society. This image is used aptly with the image on line eight, â€Å"the rich she had let pass with frozen stare. † (â€Å"West London† 8) This can be seen as Arnold deliberately exposing the ignorance of the wealthy. This sentence is the shortest of all in the poem, which indicates a definitive response. Another notable image can be seen on line nine, â€Å"above her state this spirit towers. † (â€Å"West London† 9) This is the most powerful image of the entire poem.Arnold deliberately uses such emphatic language to conjure this image, on the pivotal first line of the turn, to demonstrate the strength of the human spirit. This image also alludes to the idea of the towering human spirit contesting the new skyscraper buildings that claimed the landscape of London during the nineteenth century. West London is full of unique imagery, and carefully selected language, for its time period. Arnold uses an Italian sonnet structure to speak about controversial issues, in a style readers would have been familiar with.

The Great Britain s Era Of Colonization - 1940 Words

Paul R. Bontempo William E. Balding Mrs. Malangoni English 12-8 British Colonialism Introduction Colonialism is the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. (â€Å"Colonialism†). Great Britain’s era of colonization is between the years of 1607 to the present day, as Britain maintains a collective of Crown dependencies such as The Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Jersey, British Overseas Territories such as Bermuda, The Cayman Islands and Gibraltar, and a relation to its British Commonwealth Realm, including Canada, Australia and Jamaica. Britain has a long history of conquest and imperialism, and has held colonies throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, on islands in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and once held a prominent presence throughout Africa. Britain has had a profound effect on the development both economically and culturally of it’s former African colonies, and a sort of legacy of their presence still lives on in some facets of the cultu re of these formerly colonized peoples, such as the distribution of population, distribution of wealth, popular religion, and formal education. History â€Å"The Scramble for Africa† was a large land grab that many countries participated in, including the British (Iweriebor). Between the 1890s and 1900, Africa was faced with European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressure, military invasions, and eventual conquest andShow MoreRelatedThe Imperialism Of India By George Marshall1739 Words   |  7 Pages was colonized in the 1750s by the British who were seeking to further expand their global empire and grow their wealth but cared little if at all for the people s lives that were impacted by their colonization. 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