Dreaming Black Boy
The physical structure of this poem This is the OPINION of one individual,
has been altered from the original which might not coincide with the
layout in the text. views of others.
1.I wish my teacher's eyes wouldn't LITERAL MEANING
go past me today. Wish he'd know The poem is about a black boy who
it's okay to hug me when I kick wishes that he could have the regular
a goal.1.Wish I myself wouldn't things in life. Things such as
hold back when an answer comes. a congratulatory hug, to be educated to
2.I'm no woodchopper now the highest level and to travel without
like all ancestor's. harassment. The persona yearns to stop
fighting for the basic right to be
1.I wish I could be educated successful, to rise above societal
to the best of tune up, and earn expectations.
good money and 3.not sink to lick
boots.1.I wish I could go on every
crisscross way of the globe
and no persons or powers or
hotel keepers would make it a waste.
1.I wish life wouldn't spend me out
opposing.1.Wish same way creation
would have me stand it would have me
stretch, and hold high, 2.my voice
Paul Robeson's, my 4.inside eye
a sun. Nobody wants to say
hello to nasty answers.
LITERARY DEVICES
1.I wish 2.torch throwers of night
would burn lights for decent times. 1. REPETITION:
1.Wish 2.plotters in pyjamas would pray The constant repetition of the phrase 'I
for themselves. Wish people wouldn't wish' points to a yearning, a desperation
talk as if I dropped from Mars even, for the basic things that life has to
offer. The repetition gives credence to the
1.I wish only boys were scared idea that the persona might believe that
behind bravados, for I could suffer. his wishes are actually dreams that might
I could suffer a big big lot. not come true.
1.I wish nobody would want to earn
the terrible burden I can suffer. 2. ALLUSION:
King, H. 'Dreaming Black Boy' in A Stanza 1, lines 6 and 7, alludes to
World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt slavery, the state of lacking
and Hazel Simmond-McDonald. Pearson control over one's own life and
Education Ltd, 2005. destiny. The fact that reference is
made to this hints to how the
persona feels about his life. He
does not feel as if he has control
over it.
Stanza 3, lines 19 to 20, alludes to Paul Robeson, a black intellectual, who
attained success despite difficult circumstances. The persona yearns to be like
this person. He wants room to stretch intellectually.
Stanza 4, lines 22 to 25, alludes to the klu klux klan. Burning lights refers to
the burning crosses and the pyjamas alludes to their white outfits that look like
pyjamas. The persona wants them to leave him alone, find something else to
do other than make his life difficult, as well as contributing to his wishes
remaining a dream.
3.Irony
“I wish my teachers eyes wouldn't go past me today,”-A teacher should be fair but
instead she is not. (Situational Irony)
4. Alliteration
“Wish plotters in pygamas would pray..”
IMPORTANT WORDS / PHRASE
3.'not sink to lick boots'
This refers to the concept of being subservient. To have no choice but to kowtow to
people in order to get ahead.
4. 'Inside eye a sun'
This refers to the persona's mind. He wants to show how intelligent he is
without fear. He wants his mind to be a sun. Sun represents brightness and
light, that is how he wants his intelligence to shine.
TONE and MOOD
The tone of the poem is one of longing/yearning/desperation. He keeps
wishing that things were different.
The mood is one of sadness. The persona is thinking about how he is treated
and he reacts to this in a sad way.
THEMATIC ISSUES:
Survival
Oppression
Desire/dreams
Racism
