This Poem is a symbol of a journey through time. Starting from the beginning of slavery to the end of it.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" "Don't ask, Don't tell", he said to me, As he closed the lock and swallowed my key. Chains and links and links and chains- Silvery irons, with rusted stains. A monster of darkness, a keyhole of light, Night after day and day after night. "Don't ask, Don't tell", he said to me, When forever had passed, he set me free.. by Holly Crowther |
Repetition: "Don't ask, Don't tell", he said to me, Symbol: A keyhole of light. |
Poem Theme Analysis
This poem takes you into the dark world of slavery, and the glory of freedom. In many of the earlier years, our country was not exactly the best behaved. Slavery was on the brink of taking over the south, and many were tortured and killed. Most African American families were split up and forced to work long nights, and grueling work days on plantation farms. Because of their living conditions, it was very rare to have outstanding health. You were lucky if you even got your own sleeping arrangements, and blanket. Later on in the late 1800's Abraham Lincoln made a Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation to all the slaves in the United States, who rebelled against the union. This Proclamation forced all enslaved prisoners to be set forever free from their overseers, and bosses.
The journey from the beginning of slavery to the very end of it, is all in the poem above. In the very first stanza it says "Don't ask, Don't tell, he said to me, as he closed the lock and swallowed my key. Chains and links and links and chains-Silvery irons, with rusted stains". This is a symbol of how the overseers thought of the enslaved African Americans; Useless and helpless, like their lives aren't worth anything.
In the last stanza it clearly states "Don't ask, Don't tell, he said to me, when forever had passed, he set me free". This is a symbol of how long it had been since the slaves were imprisoned. It is also a symbol of hope that life will get better. Over all the theme of the poem is "Hope". Which is displayed throughout the line "A keyhole of light".
The journey from the beginning of slavery to the very end of it, is all in the poem above. In the very first stanza it says "Don't ask, Don't tell, he said to me, as he closed the lock and swallowed my key. Chains and links and links and chains-Silvery irons, with rusted stains". This is a symbol of how the overseers thought of the enslaved African Americans; Useless and helpless, like their lives aren't worth anything.
In the last stanza it clearly states "Don't ask, Don't tell, he said to me, when forever had passed, he set me free". This is a symbol of how long it had been since the slaves were imprisoned. It is also a symbol of hope that life will get better. Over all the theme of the poem is "Hope". Which is displayed throughout the line "A keyhole of light".