Assassination IEB Notes

1 TITLE: unclear which assassination. Poet adds contextual markers as the poem progresses to help the reader understand the unfolding of events. MEANING: open to interpretation. Reference to “the King” suggests that the poem is about Martin Luther King Junior’s assassination. Yet there is no other context created and some details differ from historical accounts of the happenings on that day. Assassination CONTEXTUAL MARKER: popular 1960s term used by young “hippies” and BCC (Black Consciousness Culture). “Wild” suggests less serious subject matter and this makes the later events more memorable. “it” = vague, heightens tension—what was wild? Creates curiosity. LATE MODERNISM by Don L Lee (Haki R. Madhubuti) EFFECT (LINE 1): no capital letter suggests that the first line is a continuation of a previous sentence. The reader is curious about what information was granted previously. it was wild. the bullet hit high. IMPLICATION: past tense + the verb “wild” suggests that the speaker was there, but it is unclear whether the poet was there. “wild” = mayhem/ anarchy, links to chaotic atmosphere. Connotation—vulnerability. (the throat-neck) & from everywhere, the motel, from under bushes and cars, AMPERSAND: abbreviation for “and” - emphasizes the urgent tone. LINES 5-10: “They” (unspecified) came running from everywhere, including strange (highly improbable) places such as rat holes. Speaker suggests that countless people suddenly came out of nowhere. AMBIGUOUS—we do not know who “they” are and therefore it is unclear what their intentions are. This adds to the chaos of the aftermath. 5 in the earth they came running. with Placement draws attention to the info which startles the reader. Because of the placement we know the assassination was about a specific person and is not merely metaphorical; King was hit in the same spot. from around corners and across streets, out of the garbage cans and from rat holes Parenthesis—usually indicates info that is relevant but not necessary for understanding. Through using parenthesis, the poet might imply that it is relevant but unnecessary for our understanding to know where the bullet hit. However, he places the parenthesis on its own line and it is indented, thus making it appear more important. Insinuates that the people who are running are garbage and lowlifes as they are described coming from “garbage cans” and “rat holes” - derogatory terms to describe humans. 10 REPETITION—”they came running”: emphasizes the urgency/ rushed into action. guns Lines 11-14: explanation that “they came running” “with / guns / drawn”. LINEBREAK: emphasizes the detail & forces the reader to slow down. It could also resemble how time seems to slow down for many people when they experience trauma. drawn they came running Dashes—usually functions as parenthesis. Here it draws attention to the ability and haste of the running people. It creates a sense of movement and urgency and it speeds up the pace of the poem. towards the King— 15 all of them Suggests they were welltrained/ competent. fast and sure— Line 15: Finally tells us they were running toward the “King” (Martin Luther King Jr) which clarifies that it is his assassination that we are exploring. Those who are running are not identified as assassins or police—we only know that they have guns. as if the King PUNCTUATION: Only the word “King” is capitalized—highlighting the prominence of the victim. We identify that the poem is about Martin Luther King and it shows his rank as the forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement. was going to fire back. 20 they came running, IRONY: Strange/absurd that the competent people (“fast and sure”) are running in the “wrong direction”. The reader is left to decide who is running towards the “King”. Assassins would probably have run away since the King was already dead. INTENTION: to expose the horror of the assassination, emotive testimony about the shooting and the uncertainty of the time following his death. fast and sure, in the wrong direction. 25 TYPOGRAPHY: disjointed—creates a pressing, disengaged TONE. It seems as if the events are happening in real time which creates urgency. Indentation emphasizes the confusing, fragmented nature of the event. TONE: Urgent, but disengaged and withdrawn—little emotive language employed and short, staccato lines cause shock , the typography makes the events appear fragmented. STRUCTURE: Free verse—short phrases, haphazard punctuation, layout irregular and chaotic, lines staggered, no neat structure- mimics the chaos/ uncertainty/ disbelief about what transpired. ASSUMPTION: the police/military/bodyguards were running towards the King—it shows their reaction to the shooting of the person they were supposed to protect. Their rush seems useless (ironic since they are supposedly competent). Important assassinations during the 1960s: Martin Luther King Jr (1968) & John F Kennedy (1963). CHANGE: several movements were gaining momentum during the 1960s in the US, including civil rights, gay rights, black consciousness and anti-war movements. HINT!!! A comparison question is usually worth 3 marks: 1) identify the figure of speech, 2) state what the comparison is, and 3) explain why the comparison is effective. The poet might be questioning the protection of all citizens under a democratic system. Because the poet says they were running in “the wrong direction”, he could imply that they did not want to catch the assassins. The poet is possibly showing his bitterness at the inevitability of death and how nothing can be done once a death has occurred. HINT!!! Do not merely answer a question by stating something is used for emphasis. Markers do not accept these answers as they are “overused”. You MUST back your answer by referring to the poem. HINT!!! Always distinguish between the POET and the SPEAKER in a poem. ©LITERATURE FUNDI https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Literature-Fundi