Social Concern Poem
Social Concern Poems are poems about social problems that might've taken place in the past
or the present.
or the present.
Birmingham Campaign
Left, Left,
Left, Right, Left,
The road stretched for eternity,
as I marched across its surface,
following the faded yellow arrow
on its belly
Pale, shock- stricken faces
gazed and ogled,
as I held the flimsy, cardboard sign,
among the sea of protesters,
flooding the streets of Birmingham.
Weaaaaah, weaaaah
Cop cars wail,
draining out
chants we screech with fury
Hoses flail like vemonous snakes,
spraying us with its poison.
Left my clothes
with gaping holes,
revealing garish purple splotches,
with hints of green
Children
hurled back by the water's pressure,
no mercy.
Dogs with pink lips,
pulled back in hatred
charged like a battering ram
before a shriek escaped my lips.
As it buried its gnashers
into my chest,
I hear,
" Why didn't you bring a meaner dog,
this one is not the vicious one!"
My vision blurs,
watching the lasting fuzzy image
of men, women, and children
marching
Left, Left,
Left, Right, Left
Poetry Explanation
The theme of the poem was the horrors and violence of the Birmingham Campaign, one of the most famous protests for civil rights for African Americans. Basically, to simply put it, the theme was discrimination and violence against other racial groups. It was written from a teenager's point of view. Many children and adults were hosed down by high pressure water, strong enough to rip clothing, and attacked by vicious dogs. The police did nothing to protect the African Americans. In fact, they were the ones who sic'ed dogs on them and attacked them with water. This was a quote from one of the police officers, " Why didn't you bring a meaner dog, this one is not the vicious one!" Many Americans who watched this event on television were sickened by the violence shown to the African Americans. Many were discusted and upset. It is still one of the most shameful events in American history.
Poetry Literary Explanation
This poem has many literary elements such as hyperbole or allusion.
Allusion - Allusion was used when I used this famous quote, "Why didn't you bring a meaner dog, this one is not the vicious one," demonstrating the violence of protests.
Hyperbole- I used a hyperbole, when I said the road stretched for eternity. No road could stretch for eternity. It was a mere exaggeration.
Onomatopeia- I also used onomatopoeia when desribing the sirens of the cops' cars. Weahhhhhhh was the word I used. ( Yeah, I really couldn't find a word to describe sirens.)
Personification - Finally, I used Personification to describe the noise the cops' cars were making. I said the cars wail. Cars do not have mouths, so they cannot wail, scream, etc.
Allusion - Allusion was used when I used this famous quote, "Why didn't you bring a meaner dog, this one is not the vicious one," demonstrating the violence of protests.
Hyperbole- I used a hyperbole, when I said the road stretched for eternity. No road could stretch for eternity. It was a mere exaggeration.
Onomatopeia- I also used onomatopoeia when desribing the sirens of the cops' cars. Weahhhhhhh was the word I used. ( Yeah, I really couldn't find a word to describe sirens.)
Personification - Finally, I used Personification to describe the noise the cops' cars were making. I said the cars wail. Cars do not have mouths, so they cannot wail, scream, etc.