The current President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, was one of the few, who, in his inauguration ceremony in January 2009, had a poet read an inaugural poem. This delightful tradition that had only been included by three presidents before but that in many ways supports and promotes the art of contemporary American poets was kept alive by Elizabeth Alexander, one of the best-known and most successful recent African-American women poets. Her Praise Song For The Day, despite some sporadic criticism, was a suitable and thoughtful composition for this occasion and it was then that I heard for the first time of Elizabeth Alexander, an African-American poet.
Her work and background fascinated me especially because she is a contemporary and her work is so recent and still going on. Therefore, I decided to examine four of her poems in the term paper at hand: Emancipation, Ars Poetica #28: African Leave-Taking Disorder, Race and Ars Poetica #92: Marcus Garvey on Elocution.
During my research I had to learn that sadly, there is a significant lack of research and literature on this and other contemporary authors and therefore, this term paper largely consists of my own findings regarding the poems.
Due to the reason that her personal background and her life have influenced the poems to a notable extent, I will start off with a short biographical section on Elizabeth Alexander herself and point out further biographical traits while interpreting the poems in their respective chapters. I will finally summarize my findings and present my personal conclusion as regards her way of tackling her topics and her art of writing.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Biographical information on Elizabeth Alexander
- The poems
- Emancipation
- Ars Poetica #28: African Leave-Taking Disorder
- Race
- Ars Poetica #92: Marcus Garvey on Elocution
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes four poems by Elizabeth Alexander, exploring their themes and relationship to her personal background and the broader context of African-American culture. It aims to provide insights into Alexander's artistic approach and her engagement with issues of race, identity, and history.- The influence of African-American traditions and beliefs on Alexander's poetry
- Themes of liberation and emancipation in the context of slavery and its legacy
- The role of language and cultural expression in shaping identity
- Alexander's engagement with the "Post-Soul Aesthetic" and the Arts of the Post-Civil Rights Movement
- The relationship between personal experiences and artistic expression
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: This chapter introduces Elizabeth Alexander and her work, highlighting her significance as a contemporary African-American poet. It outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on four specific poems: Emancipation, Ars Poetica #28: African Leave-Taking Disorder, Race, and Ars Poetica #92: Marcus Garvey on Elocution.
- Biographical information on Elizabeth Alexander: This chapter provides a concise overview of Alexander's life and career, emphasizing her diverse background, her parents' influence, and her academic achievements. It also highlights her literary career, listing her published works and awards.
- Emancipation: This chapter analyzes the poem "Emancipation" in depth, exploring its themes of liberation, cultural heritage, and the persistence of African-American traditions despite oppression. It examines the poem's structure, language, and symbolism, highlighting its use of Hoodoo imagery and its connection to the experience of slavery.
Keywords
This paper explores the themes of African-American identity, race, liberation, emancipation, language, cultural expression, and the "Post-Soul Aesthetic." It examines the work of Elizabeth Alexander, a contemporary African-American poet, with a focus on her engagement with the legacy of slavery and the influence of African-American traditions on her art.- Quote paper
- Marc Hempel (Author), 2010, Analysis of four poems by Elizabeth Alexander: Race, Emancipation, African Leave-Taking Disorder, Marcus Garvey on Elocution, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/168712
