Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sonnets: 27" by Wanda Coleman, dedicated "after F. A. Nettelbeck," engages with the raw, often uncomfortable underbelly of life and literary expression, offering a candid critique of societal and cultural stereotypes alongside a homage to a certain rawness in writing. Coleman's poem is both a reflection on identity—particularly the rejection of reductive stereotypes—and an acknowledgment of the gritty, unvarnished truth of human experiences as captured by certain poets, notably Nettelbeck, known for his unapologetic style.

The poem opens with a clear statement of self-definition through negation: "who i wasn't was that kink-wig stereotype," immediately distancing the speaker from simplified, racial caricatures. Coleman positions herself outside the bounds of expected roles or identities, rejecting the commodification of blackness and femininity that such stereotypes enforce.

The "aged honky boozer" character appears as a figure emblematic of certain exploitative and voyeuristic tendencies within the literary world, someone who gains inspiration and "sprouted pages" from the exoticized and eroticized "other." Coleman critiques this dynamic, highlighting the power imbalances that often underpin artistic creation and consumption, where muses are objectified and creators are imbued with unwarranted profundity.

Coleman's depiction of the "Saint of The Downtrodden" unmasking himself to reveal "the ugliest purplest most revolting truths" serves as a metaphor for the unveiling of raw, uncomfortable realities that defy sanitization or romanticization. This act of exposure symbolizes the confrontation with unpalatable truths about human nature and society, which Coleman suggests should be the essence of genuine art.

The toast to "the spook of unwashed urinals and skidrow hells" is simultaneously a critique of and tribute to the gritty realism and unfiltered honesty in Nettelbeck's work and in life itself. It acknowledges the value of literature that refuses to turn away from the darker aspects of human existence, capturing the beauty and dignity that can be found in even the most degraded conditions.

Finally, the poem concludes with an ironic nod to "his legacy the art of keeping toilet paper from sticking to fingers," a metaphor for the skill of engaging with filth and degradation without becoming tainted by it. This line encapsulates the poem's broader meditation on the role of the artist in society—to delve into the muck of human experience, to reveal uncomfortable truths, but to emerge unscathed, preserving the purity of their vision and voice.

Through "Sonnets: 27," Coleman navigates the intersections of race, art, and authenticity with sharp wit and piercing insight, offering a powerful commentary on the complexities of identity and expression within the literary landscape. Her poem is a testament to the strength found in embracing one's truth, no matter how unsavory or inconvenient it may be to the prevailing tastes of the time.

POEM TEXT:  https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bathwater_Wine/rS6cPn9ECAgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=27.

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