Emmett Till Poem Analysis

The Hippy era was a time in United States history when massive changes were made. Boundaries were challenged and crossed in literature and art, the government was confronted head-on for its policies in Vietnam; and the cause of civil rights was embraced by the young. This was a time of growth not only as a country but for people as individuals. People were standing up for their personal right to do what they felt they wanted to do. This was a time of change for the civil rights movement and women's movement. The two poems that I have chose center on the civil rights movement during the 1960's and how it affected people. I personally like reading about the 60's because of how much the world changed during just a decade in time. There countless marches, protests, murders and beatings that happened during this time, but these poems symbolize what happened. The poems I chose tell the story of how the people felt when everything was going on during the 60's.
The first poem is, Emmett Till by James A. Emanuel written in 1968 at the end of the decade. Emmett Till I hear a whistling Through the water Little Emmett Won't be still. He keeps floating Round the darkness, Edging through The silent chill. Tell me, please, That bedtime story Of the fairy River Boy Who swims forever,
When I read this I see the little boy it's about and what happened to him. The poem was written about a 14 year old boy that was lynched in 1955 for allegedly making sexual advances towards a white girl. America for all of its advances still had a strong sense of racism during this time. It was during the 60's that a major advancement was made in prejudice towards the blacks in America. What the poem says to me though is that it's not forgotten. That little boy may be dead but what he represents isn't going to just disappear into the ground with