Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Rosa" is a poem by Rita Dove, an African-American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner, published in 1983. The poem is a tribute to Rosa Parks, an African-American civil rights activist who famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white person, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and becoming a symbol of the civil rights movement.

Explanation:

The poem is written from the perspective of Rosa Parks herself. It starts with Rosa being exhausted from a long day of work and needing to sit down on the bus. The bus driver demands she give up her seat for a white passenger, but she refuses. The poem then shifts to Rosa's thoughts, reflecting on her decision to stand up for herself and her people. She thinks about her grandmother and the struggles she faced as a slave, as well as the bravery of other African-American leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. The poem ends with Rosa being arrested and taken to jail.

Poetic Elements:

• Structure: The poem consists of four stanzas, each with varying numbers of lines. The stanzas are not uniform in structure, but each one focuses on a different aspect of Rosa's story.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is resolute and reflective. Rosa's determination to stand up for herself and her people is evident throughout the poem.
• Imagery: The use of imagery in the poem is powerful, with vivid descriptions of Rosa's physical exhaustion and the fear and anger she feels in the face of injustice.
• Symbolism: The poem makes use of several symbols, such as the bus and the jail, to represent the larger systems of oppression and racism at play in Rosa's story.
• Rhyme scheme: The poem does not have a consistent rhyme scheme, but there are occasional instances of internal rhyme and slant rhyme throughout.

Conclusion:

"Rosa" is a powerful tribute to one of the most important figures in the civil rights movement. Through vivid imagery and powerful symbolism, Dove captures the courage and resilience of Rosa Parks and the struggle for justice that she represented. The lack of a consistent rhyme scheme allows the focus to remain on the content of the poem, while the shifting structure reflects the shifting emotions and thoughts of Rosa throughout her experience. Overall, "Rosa" is a moving and impactful poem that continues to resonate with readers today.

Poem Snippet:

"Stunned by a roar,

the driver stood, his mouth

a cavern of apologies,

utterly diminished.

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