Modernism

1) I chose to read "The Harlem Renaissance." The reason I chose this was because I wanted to read on the time period when blacks were on a higher level. Also in this time period blacks succeeded in a lot of things. Such as being artist, making music, inventing things, and more. So in this story I am expecting to read about blacks succeeding. I never knew what the word Harlem Renaissance meant either. While reading this story I’m also hoping to get a better understanding as well.

2) Read Zora Neale Hurston’s "The Gilded Six-Bits"

I could tell that this story was taken place in the olden days during slavery time. It also had the setting in the south. This was a story from the south because of the way that the people in this story were talking. In the reading the author was trying to show mostly how people talk in Florida. This was mainly what was going on in the story.

This story tells about this lady named Missie May. She was married a man named Joe. He was gone away from her for a long time and when she was at home taking a bath, he came home to surprising her. When she seen him she tackled him with joy. She chased him all through the house and played with him in joy. She said that she misses his tallness walking around.

I really liked this story. I read it because I thought that I was going to learn more about the Harlem renaissance. But it seemed as if the storyteller was telling me of a Negro’s family life. "It was a Negro yard around a Negro house in a Negro settlement." Which was not the only part in the story that had to do with that name. There were lots of things in this book that had to do with African Americans.

3)

a) Richard Corey

This poem clearly shows the life of a man that lot’s of people would love to be. This man was rich, fine, and was praised by other’s. The only problem he was not happy. To me this poem was trying to show a point when you think someone is happy because they are rich could possibly be the opposite. "He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Went home and put a bullet through his head."

b) Mending Wall

This poem represents privacy, but peace. There’s this man who has a neighbor. The man wants to put up a fence between their houses so that he can have privacy. But he’s not doing this to be mean he just think they are two different people that need to be more apart. "Good fences make good neighbors." This is another example of why they should put up the fence. The man’s neighbor agrees with putting up the fence so that they won’t turn into bad neighbors. Cause if they keep this going without a fence someone is going to get mad at the other about which side of the yard is theirs.

c) A Dream Deferred

This is asking what happens when your dream is Deferred. When reading this poem it’s really talking about you. The reason I say this is, because of all of the questions, but no answers. Therefor the author of this poem is referring to you.

d) The Negro Speaks of Rivers

This poem is talking about the importance of the river to the author. How his soul has grown deep like the rivers. "My soul has grown deep like the rivers." He also talked about how long he’s known the rivers. This poem really has an understanding of what rivers are good for.

e) Incident

This poem reminds me of the renaissance days. The reason I say this is "and so I smiled, but he poked out his tongue, and called me, Nigger." This word was used in the slavery days. And this was the only thing the little boy could remember, "from May until December."