If I Were Earth

Throughout the course of the semester there have been several poems presented on Fridays that were written by Henry Dumas, and I have enjoyed analyzing every single one of them. A while ago, I dedicated a blog post to the poem “America,” by Dumas, and here I want to take a look another one of his poetic works entitled “If I Were Earth.” To me, this poem seems to have a universal expression rather than one tailored to African-American literature.

If I Were Earth

Henry Dumas

Each tear that fell

from the crushed

moons of your face,

stabbed me,

broke and split

into a thousand pains.

But I held out my arms

and no not one did I miss,

No, not one pain.

And if I don’t let

you soak into me

and bring me up,

if I don’t let you seep

deep into me

and teach me,

then you can cry in

the morning to the sun,

and tell him to rise up

and burn me away.

It is immediately evident that there a sense of pain and maybe even anguish in this poem. All the description regarding tears, pain and crying is the core imagery that sets up the expression in place. More specifically, I find that there is also a clear illustration that the person crying is very fragile – these tears are not violent, instead they are a representation of delicate pain. In lines four through six, the imagery of the tears fully supports this idea of fragility. When the tears land on the receivers arm, they shatter into a “thousand pains.” It is almost as if each tear is a precious bead of glass that strikes upon landing, only to shatter in humble helplessness. The weeper is someone that is portrayed as sensitive and in deep pain.

The relationship that is set up between the crier and the other observer that is soaking in the tears is interesting to understand. In some ways, the relationship is really quite vague and undefined, for example, readers don’t even know who the two people are and what their official relation titles to each other are. However, primarily in the mid-section of the poem, there are quite a few implications that uncover the nature of the relationship. To start, we can glean that the two individuals are for some reason quite distant. In the third line, the eyes of the crier are referred to as moons. Moons physically are distant, which works with the title “If I Were Earth” because the author is stating that they are separated as Earth and moon, but moons also have a distant quality to them. Usually, I envision moons to have grey, barren stretches of land that produce a murky, distant feeling. Moons are for sure not used as an image of warm, cozy intimacy, there is definitely some separation between the companions. Another interesting aspect to the relationship outlined by the author is the power balance that is described. In the moment that the poem switches tone from a voice describing the past and the tears to a voice that outlines future scenarios, the author reveals that the crier has some power over himself. Although the first several lines depict a person crying in a vulnerable manner, the latter half of the poem adds more dimensions to the crier in this detail of authority. The author clearly elaborates on how the crier is the one that has the right and ability to develop and teach him, and that if he doesn’t allow the crier to do so that is to his own disadvantage. Through these words, the speaker lays out a more specified dynamic between the crier and himself.

The last few lines capitalize on the character of the crier, it shows what could be the future of this character that is fragile and weak yet functional as one who the companion can learn from. The speaker says that if he doesn’t follow up on supporting the crier, then that person can “cry in the morning to the sun.” The way that I interpreted this was that they could go find comfort in the sun, as if the sun were a parental figure that wanted to let their child spill all their problems unto them, someone that would be willing to have a loving discussion. Going along with the idea of comfort, the switch from the metonymical allusion using the moon is transferred into a relationship with the sun. The shady coolness of the moon is converted into the warm, welcoming sun, where the tears can disintegrate and the crier can be themselves in broad daylight. So if the speaker doesn’t respect the crier, there is still a possibility for that person to move on to happier days. The imagery of the sun also has a dual aspect to it, because it is represented in two forms if the poem is interpreted in this specific way. In one light, the sun works as the comforting figure that the crier can go to. The first description that is used by the author is that the crier can cry “in the morning to the sun.” The imagery that this brings to my mind is that of a colorfully lit sky at daybreak, with a calm, soothing, artistic vibe. The sun is a friend here. On the other hand, the sun also operates as an angry, intense source of heat. When the speaker addresses what will become of himself if he takes this less respectful path in not absorbing tears, he says the sun will “burn me away.” This dual characterization of the sun brings out the reality for the crier and the companion individually.

In the end it seems as if the broad light of the sun is actually a negative thing. The tangent of “And if I don’t let you…” only leads to a picture in which there is ultimate separation, a breach defined by two individuals going in opposite directions in life. So although there is pain in the moonlight, maybe there is something to be cherished in the moments of tears. Maybe that is where the author finds the most genuine relationship, where he can share the pain and embrace what the crier goes through. It is in these moments that the crier can “bring me up” and “teach me.” There is an exchange of emotion that is serious and without cheer, but it is where the two companions truthfully connect. 

Racial Divide

Lately there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the killings of African-Americans in our country. From the case of Michael Brown to Eric Garner, public opinion is rapidly turning against the government because of the lack of action to indict cops in their violence against these black citizens. This sort of action by the forces of the government has been repeated throughout the history of the United States, and people are getting tired of situations like this.

While it is safe to say that the cops were in the wrong and people have the right to be frustrated, it is important not to overlook the actions of people reacting that may not be of the best choice. In general, anyone who is rioting is not really helping anybody. The outbreak of vandalism and damage of property does not right the wrong of any case of racial injustice, yet people riot. Of course there are many peaceful protests, but rioting is an entirely different matter. There is footage of Michael Brown’s mother, for example, pleading with the public not to riot, because she knows that it is not the right way to go if the aim is to create long-term peace and safety nationwide. In American History Seminar we are watching a film regarding race relations, and one moving scene involves a black radio announcer asking the black population to not riot after the announcement that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. He claimed that setting the city to fire is not “what he would have wanted.” Although peaceful protests generally address the problem in the best way possible, there has been one recent case that is troubling. A protest in NYC started a chant that went, “What do we want? Dead cops!” It is expected that there will be a backlash in any given race related atrocity, but rioting or using unnecessarily offensive chants really does not move America in the right direction. Furthermore, while I understand the legitimacy behind expressing oneself on a public platform, I still stand firm in my belief that rioting does not ultimately help, but rather hurts, so it should not be the course of action people choose to take.

Taking all aspects of this national situation into account, it seems as if all of this action, from both sides, is really going nowhere. This sort of situation is a repeat of history, which in itself shows that there has not been much progress, regardless of how people would like to think of America. The entire situation with Rodney King was outrageous, and now the country is facing the same sorts of happenings. And it would be nice to think that we don’t live in a society where people actually act in violence against people just because of their race, but surprisingly that wish is too idealistic. As our nation develops, the race divide is not really mended as it should be.  Now that people are protesting or rioting, I don’t know if that will really change anything. Yes, the public is becoming more aware, what one would think to be a good thing, but what does that really amount to? Not only is the violence a repeat of events, but the protesting is as well – protesting with regards to these specific cases did not really change the course of this nation’s history before, so how will it now? It would even be nice to think that all the protest would be “chipping away” at the problem, but in reality, I don’t even think that is the case. The number of incidents certainly is not decreasing, and people are just getting aggravated, whether they support the victim or the cop. It seems as if the only thing that is happening is that the breach over race issues is getting wider. 

Sethe's Love

One of the central events in Beloved that is constantly referred to throughout the novel is the murder of Beloved herself. This death at the hands of Sethe is the source for many passages that give readers a look in to the traits and feelings of many different characters and their interactions with each other. In the narration of the murder, schoolteacher along with some others find Sethe in the shed with the children in terrible condition around her. Howard and Buglar are bleeding nearby, Sethe has just cut her daughter’s throat, and she is about to inflict more damage on Denver. Stamp Paid interfered before it was really all too late, but the murder of one baby daughter had been committed. A while later, when Sethe gives her own account, she includes a bit in her tragic story of when she realized her children would be called for slavery. She claims that she was overwhelmed, so she went forward with her violent action. The decision she makes is portrayed as entirely out of love and a heart of protection, no malice included. Basically, Sethe wants to go forward with the ultimate wrong of taking away their lives so that they don’t have to go through the same slavery life that she dreads.

The reason why Sethe’s position as a mother allows for her to try to go so far as to take away the life of her children is because the past of slavery is so real and present in her feelings. There is a consistent theme of events never dying in the novel, and so the painful memories of slavery unfortunately strongly stick to Sethe. As a result, she is overwhelmed with the reality and there is a backlash in her actions. Overall, she does her very best to avoid thinking about the slavery days and the harsh times. Although it is a real struggle, she attempts to avoid traumatic experiences of the past at all costs. Due to this extreme reaction to the ongoing nature of slavery memories, when Sethe meets the older Beloved from out of the river she fails to recognize her as the reincarnation of her baby. Morrison makes the signs that they are connected so blatant, and so the failure of Sethe to connect just shows how much she has trained herself to forget the unforgettable past. In the text, Beloved is described as having extremely smooth baby skin and a strong tie to the water. And of all people, it would make sense for Sethe to connect to Beloved right off the bat, instead, she has blinded herself and is really unable to see even the clearest of hints. The other few people in the house take note of Beloved, but Sethe is just oblivious to it all. The influence of a story are evident in the moment that Sethe actually recites her version to Paul D, as the story envelops her and she describes it as if she were there again. Morrison continuously pushes the theme of undying events, and the storytelling of Sethe is one tool that is available for her to accomplish this goal.

Because she makes such an extreme decision to express her love, Paul D actually backs out from his relationship with Sethe. While most readers of Beloved feel a certain level of sympathy for her, these feelings are absent in Paul D and he initiates a dry, harsh split between them, breaking their long relationship because of the story rather than approaching Sethe by considering her side. He observes that she loves too much and that it seems like she forgets that she has “two feet…not four.” He means to say that her love is animalistic and that is primitive. Additionally, it carries the implication that Sethe does not know how to restrain herself. Paul D is so adamant in his belief that Sethe is not wise and worthy any longer that he leaves the household entirely. There is actually another character in the book that expresses some of Paul D’s sentiments. This figure is Ella. The two women meet each other through Stamp Paid, since Ella and Stamp Paid work together in the Underground Railroad and are connected in helping Sethe. It does not take too long for Ella to notice the way Sethe is glued to Denver, and she kind of resents that behavior. In her mind, she feels that Sethe goes too far in loving her children. In the end Paul D and Ella both tend to distance themselves from Sethe.

The reaction that Sethe receives opens up questions on why she gets such a cold response when sharing her sad story. Both Ella and Paul D have experienced a lot in the realm of slavery as well, so it makes sense that they have no patience for emotions being spent over matters related to slavery. Basically Sethe takes one option of becoming intense in her love because the slavery deprived her of love, and Paul D and Ella are oddly restrained because they are trying their best to forget slavery. The two parties take two entirely different paths for a shared interest: to forget the cruelty of slavery. Once they align near each other, it is natural that they clash and cause relationships to break. The fact that the way in which the characters want to deal with their memories influences them to their present days is testament to the undying aspect in experiences.