Pretty Flacko Nigga
Hard Rock Analysis
The poem “Hard Rock” by Etheridge Knight is a poem that takes place in a prison (or possibly somewhere else like a sporting event, a dining room, etc. but a prison fits the context better). The poem is about a black prisoner that comes back after being in the Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The inmates are reminiscing on all the crazy stuff Hard Rock used to do that they had always wished they could do. During Hard Rock’s time at the Hospital he had a brain surgery in which they “cut out part of his brain and shot electricity through the rest.” The speaker of the poem is recalling all the stories of crazy things Hard Rock used to do before he left and telling the listener how much of a bad ass Hard Rock was. The speaker of the poem is an inmate at the prison; maybe Hard Rock’s cell mate, friend, or just someone that knew about him. Who the speaker is talking to is unclear though. It is most likely another inmate, assuming that the setting is in a prison, however it is not clear within the poem exactly who the auditor is. The situation of the poem and the whole reason why the speaker is even recalling all of these memories is because it’s been said that Hard Rock is soft now. The “word” has it that Hard Rock is a shell of what he used to be and will just stand there with a stupid smile on his face when tested. The old Hard Rock didn’t “take no shit from nobody” but now the word going around is that the new Hard Rock has been tamed. The tone of this poem begins as inspired and almost proud, like a little brother talking about his cool older brother. The speaker seems to have a lot of respect for Hard Rock. Hard Rock is a hero to the speaker because Hard Rock will act out situations that the speaker could only ever dream of doing; he was their “destroyer.” The tone quickly changes in line 27 to sad, almost nostalgic sounding. The inmates are reliving all of the crazy stuff he did before his surgery. The fact that he has been tamed now leaves
The poem “Hard Rock” by Etheridge Knight is a poem that takes place in a prison (or possibly somewhere else like a sporting event, a dining room, etc. but a prison fits the context better). The poem is about a black prisoner that comes back after being in the Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The inmates are reminiscing on all the crazy stuff Hard Rock used to do that they had always wished they could do. During Hard Rock’s time at the Hospital he had a brain surgery in which they “cut out part of his brain and shot electricity through the rest.” The speaker of the poem is recalling all the stories of crazy things Hard Rock used to do before he left and telling the listener how much of a bad ass Hard Rock was. The speaker of the poem is an inmate at the prison; maybe Hard Rock’s cell mate, friend, or just someone that knew about him. Who the speaker is talking to is unclear though. It is most likely another inmate, assuming that the setting is in a prison, however it is not clear within the poem exactly who the auditor is. The situation of the poem and the whole reason why the speaker is even recalling all of these memories is because it’s been said that Hard Rock is soft now. The “word” has it that Hard Rock is a shell of what he used to be and will just stand there with a stupid smile on his face when tested. The old Hard Rock didn’t “take no shit from nobody” but now the word going around is that the new Hard Rock has been tamed. The tone of this poem begins as inspired and almost proud, like a little brother talking about his cool older brother. The speaker seems to have a lot of respect for Hard Rock. Hard Rock is a hero to the speaker because Hard Rock will act out situations that the speaker could only ever dream of doing; he was their “destroyer.” The tone quickly changes in line 27 to sad, almost nostalgic sounding. The inmates are reliving all of the crazy stuff he did before his surgery. The fact that he has been tamed now leaves