A Poem Analysis: Songs for the People by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

 

                                       Frances Ellen Watkins Harper - Courtesy of Wikipedia

Poems express the trials and triumphs of the human condition with picturesque imagery, relatable metaphors, intense emotions, melodic rhythms and sounds. My love for poetry began in elementary school. I fondly remember reciting and performing the narrative poem, "In the Morning"by Paul Laurence Dunbar for an elementary assembly program about the Harlem Renaissance. Memorizing all 108 lines of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe was challenging for a 7th grader, but I still remember some of the lines today. As an adult, I enjoy the poetry of Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Lucille Clifton, among other poets. You will regularly find me reading original poems at open mics and virtual poetry readings. Recently, I discovered the poet Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911) when I did a random #poetry search on Facebook. In 1859, Ms. Harper's The Two Offers was published in the Anglo-African Magazine, which is believed to be the first short-story ever published by an African-American writer.  Known as the "Mother of African-American Journalism," Ms. Harper was a prolific writer, abolitionist and speaker. Her poetic topics include slavery, religion, civil rights and peace.  Let's discuss Ms. Harper's beautiful poem, "Songs for the People"...

"Songs for the People" is a lyrical poem which flows in a symmetric pattern. The poem is about a writer's desire to inspire audiences through songs and singing. In the poem, Ms. Harper defines (1). Who are the people she wants to hear her songs; (2) What her songs will do for them; (3) And the reasons why she wants them to hear her songs. 

I. Let me make the songs for the people,
           Songs for the old and young;    
     Songs to stir like a battle-cry    
           Wherever they are sung.

The introduction of the poem begins with "Let me." Who did Ms. Harper ask permission to "make the songs for the people"?  To understand Ms. Harper's plea, it is important to understand her environment. Ms. Harper was a writer during a period in history when there were few female writers, and even fewer African-American writers.  She was born to "free" African-American parents, which means she was born free at a time when the majority of her race was enslaved. In a previous blog, we discussed the trials of being the first demographic in any profession. There are more closed doors than open ones for trailblazers. The poem's "Let me" is a plea directed to the gatekeepers, or anyone, who interfered with Ms. Harper's desire to have her poems heard by an audience. 
 
The who in the first paragraph are "for the old and young."  
The what in the first paragraph are "Songs to stir like a battle-cry"
        
Interestingly, the poem does not mention race even though Ms. Harper wrote extensively about the African-American slavery experience. In "Songs for the People", the 'who' is universal. 

II. Not for the clashing of sabres,
           For carnage nor for strife;
But songs to thrill the hearts of men           
            With more abundant life.

In the second paragraph, the poem further explains 'what' the songs will do for the people by explaining what they are not. Her songs are "Not for the clashing of sabres, For carnage nor for strife". The songs are not to encourage war, death or conflict.  Further, Harper states that the songs will 'thrill the hearts of men with more abundant life.' The symmetry in this stanza is clear. She first states what the songs will not be and ends with what they will be. The songs will not be for death but will be for 'abundant life.' The poem mentions 'men', but as a female poet, I am sure she meant both men and women.  

III. Let me make the songs for the weary,
            Amid life's fever and fret,    
Till hearts shall relax their tension,
           And careworn brows forget.

In the third paragraph, the poem repeats the plea of "Let me".  She adds a new audience (who) by including the 'weary amid life's fever and fret'.  This time her plea asks for a specified time of how long she will be allowed to make the songs (what),"Till hearts shall relax their tension, and careworn brows forget."

IV.  Let me sing for little children,
            Before their footsteps stray,
      Sweet anthems of love and duty,   
            To float o'er life's highway.

In the fourth paragraph, the poem expands the audience (who) to include 'little children' and changes from making songs to singing.  As in the third paragraph, Harper requests a specific time ' Before their footsteps stray.' The songs will be (what) 'Sweet anthems of love and duty, To float o'er life's highway

V. I would sing for the poor and aged,
Of the bright and restful mansions,
   Where there shall be no night.

The fifth paragraph expands the audience (who) to include 'the poor and aged', and references time, "when shadows dim their sight.' The poor and aged experience a life of toil and struggle. When they are near the end of life, the songs (what) will be about  'bright and restful mansions where there shall be no night."   

VI. & VII.
Our world, so worn and weary,
   Needs music, pure and strong,
To hush the jangle and discords
   Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.

Music to soothe all its sorrow,
   Till war and crime shall cease; 
And the hearts of men grown tender
   Girdle the world with peace.

In the sixth paragraph, Ms. Harper explains her reasons 'why' she wants to make songs and sing for the people. The 'world is worn and weary' and needs 'music, pure and strong. To hush the jangle and discords of sorrow, pain and wrong.'  For Ms. Harper, listening to music is an ointment to soothe the pains of the world. Her words and music are what her audience need to hear to cope with the stresses of life.  The poem ends in paragraph VII by again mentioning time, 'Till war and crime shall cease; and the hearts of men grown tender girdle the world with peace.' Beautiful. 

The full poem is at the end of the blog. I suggest you read other poems by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Enjoy. 

Reference:

Songs for the People by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper courtesy of the Poetry Foundation retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58442/songs-for-the-people.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. In Poetry Foundation retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/frances-ellen-watkins-harper.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harpter. In Wikipedia retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Harper.Weekes, P. (2018, February 1). 

The Mother of African-American Journalism, Frances Harper. Retrieved from https://www.themarysue.com/frances-harper/.


Songs for the People

Let me make the songs for the people,
   Songs for the old and young;
Songs to stir like a battle-cry
   Wherever they are sung.
 
Not for the clashing of sabres,
   For carnage nor for strife;
But songs to thrill the hearts of men
   With more abundant life.
 
Let me make the songs for the weary,
   Amid life’s fever and fret,
Till hearts shall relax their tension,
   And careworn brows forget.
 
Let me sing for little children,
   Before their footsteps stray,
Sweet anthems of love and duty,
   To float o’er life’s highway.
 
I would sing for the poor and aged,
   When shadows dim their sight;
Of the bright and restful mansions,
   Where there shall be no night.
 
Our world, so worn and weary,
   Needs music, pure and strong,
To hush the jangle and discords
   Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.
 
Music to soothe all its sorrow,
   Till war and crime shall cease; 
And the hearts of men grown tender
   Girdle the world with peace.


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