Preview

Ambivalent Racist Poetry Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
919 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ambivalent Racist Poetry Essay
Through the distilled and powerful language of poetry, racism is explicitly expressed to exhibit its relevance today. Racism is the direct racial discrimination towards someone of a different race with the belief that one’s own race is superior. Through the exploration of various key and diverse poetic techniques and themes, racism is revealed to illustrate the major effects it has today. The purpose of poetry is to highlight its relevance by idealising reality and engaging the reader to help audiences understand the poet’s message. Poetry enables an unheard voice the opportunity to express their feelings through the most powerful and most distilled language accentuating racism. The Ungrateful Immigrant and Black Anzac feature ambivalent racist …show more content…

The Ungrateful Immigrant and Black Anzac are shattered with oppression, which resembles the racism reinforced by the prejudice. This discrimination exhibited throughout the poems are aimed to inform the audience about the significance of racism and the major effects it has on people worldwide. By revealing the horrendous experiences of the discriminated immigrants and Anzacs through the power of poetry. If a terrorist attack or mass shooting occurs, extreme trepidation begins with an amplification of media outlets covering this sudden act of horror. People instantly suspect that they were from Islam, which suddenly brings significantly gratuitous hatred towards them. Based on significant events of the past, we tend to stereotype against certain religious groups assuming, with potentially unfound evidence, that our values and beliefs are influenced by this view on Islams. The importance of multiculturalism today is shadowed by this alarming fact, 20% of every 100,000,000 million people are heavily affected by racism around the globe. Both compelling poems still exist today because the relevance demonstrates the continuity of racism and its detrimental effects today. How would you feel if you were completely segregated from society because of your beliefs, race and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In Crow, Nowra uses the narrative convention of emotive language to convey the idea of racial inequality. An example of this is when, “A black fella can’t own property.” This is blatent discrimination against Aboriginal people in Australia. It shows how Aboriginals were thought of being less important or valuable then white Australians. Another example in the extract is “It’s illegal for blacks and whites to marry!” this shows again how black and white Australians are not seen as equal, they are not the same. Nowra successfully conveys the idea of racial inequality in the extract.…

    • 1999 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism is intolerance and hatred of another race. Many protest poems are used by composers in society to express their desire for social change. “Strange fruit” by Lewis Allen and “took the children away” by Archie Roach are haunting lyrics protesting against the area of racism. Both poets have been influenced by either personal events or events occurring in society. Both Allen and Roach effectively use strong poetic techniques and pursue subject matter to the audience through racism to create a desire for social change in the society.…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Communicating the difficulties in a journey is the poem “Migrants” the poem highlights the experience of a migrant family coming to Australia to seek asylum post WWII. Throughout the poem it conveys the barriers and obstacles which were faced though out the journey. This is evident through the use of the simile “shouted at like deaf-mutes” which compared the migrants to deaf mutes and reveals how it was hard for them to communicate as they were unable to speak or understand the language. Though the use of the simile, Dawe explores how migrants were treated as second-class citizens. However, these barriers and obstacles were overcome, this is shown through the use of the metaphor “both earth and water being blent.” This symbolises the cultures coming together with mutual understanding and respect and how the migrants were able to overcome these barriers. Therefore, it displays how the migrants were able to overcome these barriers and obstacles throughout their journey.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The duality in this poem creates an illustration of the poet’s struggle which refers to the rising and falling of the African American culture; Johnson wonders how the world sees African American during this period as a people or things. It shows that the poet is worried about the direction the African American culture will be moving. Men or things is the comparison which is “Do they really think that African American people are worthless than white american people?” So the poet uses the word “thing” it mean that whites do not appreciate and insult African American people that they do not value as a human. It might be a question the the poet wants to ask others if it will take a long time to change their thinking or if it will take great efforts, strides, and sacrifices.…

    • 212 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Maya Angelou Still I Rise

    • 1397 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Angelou, through this empowering poem, has insightfully discussed and surely raised awareness of the social issue of racial prejudice - which is, in fact, sadly still present in our world. In furtherance to this, Angelou has also been able to convince us that not only is racial prejudice driven by corrupt ideals and beliefs but rather it is rooted deeply in hatred and jealousy. During the era in which Angelou lived in, there were considerably few advocates and activists for people who were treated with such cruelty all due to their race. And as outlined in Angelou’s poem, the social situation during the Jim Crow Era was appalling. In today’s society, the social situation regarding issues of racial prejudice has certainly improved with the increased number of advocates and social rights movements for those treated with inferiority and inhumanity. It has improved so much that a large number of coloured people have taken positions of governance, with the current President of the United States (Barack Obama) being an African-American and Social Rights Activist himself. Similar to critically acclaimed literary authors such as, Alice Walker and Dennis Brutus (‘The Colour Purple’ and ‘Somehow We Survive’) Angelou is a Social Rights Activist who possessed a genuine intent to make a change and difference in society. Perhaps, through this poem, Angelou is trying to…

    • 1397 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The idea is constantly presented as negative and a destructive tendency, not only in past literature but in modern literature as well. The message surpasses cultural barriers and seems to show a negative impact on not only the person who is racially degraded but the society which condones it is presented in a bad light. The Shifting Heart by Richard Beynon and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini are two prime examples of how racism can affect people and society and how the constant conditioning of people will cause them to have underlying issues, such as racist tendencies and intolerance. They show the psychology of racism is underpinned by social values and a “mob mentality”, both texts portray accurate representations of racism in the time but also show how we can use this hindsight to move towards a society which has no racial…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Migrant Hostel Analysis

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This poem also reflects the context of the post-world war 2 influx of migrants from Europe’s war-torn countries and the racism directed at migrants that was encouraged by the White Australia Policy. A loss of identity is evident from the first stanza, where a sense of uncertainty, expressed in the line “sudden departures… who would be coming next”, permeates the poem. These lines highlight the loss of control and certainty in the migrants life, and the fear of the unknown as no warning was given before the departure of the fellow migrants. The emotional instability of the migrants is also expressed through the alliterative ‘h’ in “memories of hunger and hate”, which suggests a heaviness of peoples spirits and hearts, endangered by their memories of the past limiting their sense of belonging. The simile, “like a homing pigeon… circling to get its bearings” also illustrates the migrants feelings of a limited sense of belonging, uncertainty and emotional disorientation in the face of their journey and tenure at the hostel. Therefore, we can see that an individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can limit their experience of belonging, which can be seen throughout Peter Skrzynecki’s Migrant…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Families In The Outsiders

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Sometimes, just because you may be related to a person, it doesn't make them family. This was a theme that was beaten into to us throughout the story of the Outsiders. So many characters dealt with fathers beating them, mothers turning a blind eye, whether it was from sheer will or from drug abuse. The “Greasers” and the “Socs” both had to deal with parents abandoning them, being neglected, and not having parents there when their own children needed them most. It seemed like if you had a kid in this story that was even a little essential to the plot, you were the epitome of bad parenting.…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An analysis of Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” in the book The Norton Introduction to Literature (1021), shows that the author used distinct word choice and imagery to write a timeless poem about ignorance and bigotry that can be applied to any group of oppressed people, while at the same time he conveyed a strong sense of hope that at some future time, all will be welcome at the table.…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Middle Class Black Burden

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Leanita McClain, an African American journalist, was greatly acknowledge as a black African American middle class success. McClain was condemned by her own peers and was pated on the head by whites who believed her success was only based on talent than affirmative action . Due to prejudice whites and berate blacks, Leanita was forced to choose between the envy of her own race or for her own amentities. In McClain's essay, "The Middle Class Black's Burden, She uses percise Rhetorical Strategies to express her burden. Those strategies are Compare/Contrast, Author's Tone, and Logical Appeal.…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This poem however can be indirectly confronting to those who don’t share the same viewpoints as Walker. good observation The also poem has a degree of stereotyping in the sense where ‘love your people, freedom to the end’ takes place however there none that really strikes out as it. The white Australian perspective above all is silenced in this text, marginalized are her perspectives…

    • 2236 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Racism In College Essay

    • 129 Words
    • 1 Page

    Racism is the hardest one to discuss but I am doing my best to help student to discuss.Also I want to mention something , I want to change their idea about how they can discuss this kind of topic. For example, if you are a white american and you are not racist so I do not have to discuss or talk about any thing that some white people has done in their history. Even though he or she are not racist , he or she belongs to this part. By knowing how to interact with people and learning the history and discussing that in a good why without avoiding talking about it that is a tool that I want to see them using it after they pass this course.…

    • 129 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Since the US is considered the wealthiest country in the world and one of the highest gross domestic products. Only 5% of the american think that is a serious problem. The population is extravagant in its consumption of the world resources. It boasts more billionaires than any other countries. The US has families who have insufficient income and resources to afford the basic necessities such as decent housing or sufficient food or basic services like child care or doctors. About 12% of American do not have enough to eat or suffered other material hardships. That amounts to 37 million people who live below the poverty line in other words 1 in 8 American. 12 million of the children live with the families with income below the federal level.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Owen Marshall’s ‘Mr Van Gogh’ addresses the inevitable issue of marginalisation of an individual. Through language features he influences the reader to reflect and consider action of the attitudes towards the socially marginalised. The social rejection of an individual is described through the voice of the town bully, and the cowardly acts of the narrator. Set in a small town in New Zealand it serves as a microcosm of contemporary society. Marshall presents a parable to educate the reader so they understand that there is only inclusion when there is exclusion. Marshall aims to influence the reader to take action and act in ways that challenge the universal social norms.…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Minority analysis poem

    • 541 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Minority is a poem about feeling displaced and rejected from society. It conveys to the reader how helpful literature can be in voicing important opinions to society. The poem communicates the idea of exclusion and the feeling of being unwanted to the reader through meaningful lexical choices and imagery.…

    • 541 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays