Symbolism and Allusion in Maya Angelous My Arkansas Essay -- Maya Ang

Symbolism and Allusion in Maya Angelous My Arkansas             There is a sibylline brooding/ in Arkansas. Arkansas is stuck in the gone, its memories of hatred and crime from ante-bellum days hindering the progression towards Civil Rights. Maya Angelous poem of the struggle to a raw(a) jounce of equality uses both general symbolisation and historical allusion to shake off its theme clear to the reader. The poem uses general symbolism in nature, in time, and historical allusion to make the theme clear in a concise but vibrant poem.   The general symbolism relating to nature assumes a common base of knowledge from which symbolism can be built. The poem opens with a description of Arkansas Old crimes like moss pend/ from poplar trees./ The sullen earth/ is much too/ red for comfort. The kickoff example of general symbolism in this passage is the reference to moss. Moss is considered the base of the forest, the lowest level from which all of the other plants grow. Although moss is vital to a forest, it is often judgement of as slimy and dirty. The moss pend(s) from poplar trees, our second natural symbol. The poplar tree is weak and useless. Nothing can be built from its wood, and it often bends and breaks during storms. The ocular image of the moss clinging to the poplar tree shows the slimy moss as old crimes and the poplar tree as the frail attempt at growth and a new but weak beginning. The reader gets a clear sense of the struggle toward a new life that is hindered and held back by the old, dependable moss that has been and always willing be present. The second part of the passage discusses the sullen earth that is much too red. Red earth can be symbolic in two ... ...e. Finally at the end of the poem the historical allusion brings the poem to a complete closure, and the theme of starting fresh is put into a more limited context. The old hates and old crimes are referring to those against Africa n-Americans in the days of slavery. the new beginning for Arkansas is the attempt to reach equality, leaving the past behind.   Today is yet to recognise in Arkansas. Reading Angelous poem shows the reader a new perspective on civil rights and its applicability in society. The use of general symbolism form in nature through the weak poplar tree hindered by moss and the cautious sun, paired with the historical allusion to the ante-bellum times make the theme of the poem clear. The past cannot be forgotten, and may hinder the future. Arkansas struggle toward the future writhes in awful/ waves of brooding of the past.