Notes on Counting Descent

Notes on Counting Descent by Clint Smith Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “what the fire hydrant said to the black boy” (20) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: People of color being unjustly used as if they are objects; the fear and lack of safety colored people face in their daily lives; society dehumanizes black people freely and without punishment; subservience of black people to white Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Cadence (pacing of lines), enjambment, free verse, persona of the fire hydrant, repetition “just see… just see”, sestet stanzas, volta (becomes more dramatic and somber at end of poem) Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? At first, I thought this poem was about how Smith remembers fire hydrants being like a toy when he was younger. But as I read on, I realized he was comparing himself, as a black person, to a fire hydrant for utilitarian usage of white people. I found it striking that the ending is so dark- implying that society washes everything out of black people as if they are objects (like a fire hydrant). The comparison to such a boring object shows how Smith can really find meaningful connections of his life experiences and those of colored people, without going over the top. I like how this poem is short-ish, and has many stanzas to keep the reader focused without quickly skimming over things. It also speaks directly to the reader, saying “of course you know”. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “Counterfactual” (25) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Traditional stereotypes of black people being dangerous with guns; black boys cannot be friends with white boys; society doesn’t trust black people even when they are just playing; black people must be careful of their every move Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Volta (begins with telling joyful story of playing with water guns, then warning about his safety as a black boy with a ‘gun’), imagery, free verse, enjambment, left-justified, stanzas typically 5 lines, switches from his storytelling to the words of his father Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? This poem stands out on the page for its left-justification, atypical to a standard poem or book. This reflects the title “Counterfactual”, as it is opposite to the norm. The sweet story from his childhood playing with white boys initially leads the reader to believe that there were no racial biases in his childhood; however, the turn in the story where his father tells him to stop playing because people could take this scene the wrong way affirms the racial prejudices of the society he grew up in. I enjoy the two story tellers (Smith and a short excerpt of his father), and how the last stanza explains what he learned from this event. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “Lifeline” (47) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; tourists don’t actually care about the place they visit, and will not help people who need it; people who suffer are ignored by the rest of society; people only spend money on things they can have, they don’t donate for the common good; people only care about their own happiness, not others Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): anaphora (“they laugh, they dance, they buy”), short lines, first person, no punctuation, volta (explains the city neutrally, then explains the woes it faces), antithesis (they come, they go) Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? Reading how Smith was so affected by Katrina as background, I did not think about how the city was forced to practically beg for money from others for help. This poem laments tourists who only go to Nola for fun, but don’t actually care about the locals. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “what the cathedral said to the black boy” (69) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Societal judgment based on race; self-confidence; recognizing our emotional needs; separation and inequality of black and white races Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative One single stanza, only punctuation is question marks, metaphor (eyes are stained glass windows), persona of a cathedral, directly speaks as if talking to reader, enjambment, language, syntax, etc.): anaphora (“amid this plunder/ amid all this wreckage”), Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? This poem takes a comforting tone to assure the reader that they are safe within themselves; for they are a cathedral. It also speaks as if to the reader, but really (as the title states) is talking to a black boy, attempting to build his confidence. Empowerment is the main message- that just because you are black, does not mean you are less than or unsafe. I enjoy how the poem attacks society and recognizes its brokenness and how you cannot always listen to the outside voices. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “a lineage” (24) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Black men gave their lives (literally and figuratively) to the American cause but did not come out equal; war changes a person; finding your own self by breaking up from your family’s history; lineage and descent Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): One stanza, with lines broken up with ‘tabs’ but all cohesive in the stanza- create reading breaks, no punctuation, parallel structure (“I was named after my father/ who was named after his father”), jumps between the past and present, caesura, Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? The structure of this poem is unique in the collection, as the frequent tabs that create spacing between each line create many pauses. The lines are therefore read very quickly, even though the time jumps back and forth while he tells the story of his grandfather. I think he is trying to explain how he wants to break from his lineage and stop picking up after white people and doing jobs for them (like fighting in war). He acknowledges that although he lives in the same neighborhood as white people, he does not feel welcome which is a problem in society. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “There is a Lake Here” (70) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: systems/communities of support; society thinks down on communities that underwent catastrophe; community comes from the people Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Repetition “And no”, enjambment, one single stanza, metaphor “a tessellation” and “lake, metonymy of the lake being Nola community, free verse, imagery of the children playing with the water, in medias res since he describes the already existing lake Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? This poem makes me feel supported and comforted by this strong community that he describes in New Orleans. He refers to the ‘lake’ as a strong system of support and community that grew after the devastation of the hurricane. This is smaller than the ‘ocean’ of society, and lakes are more calm and serene than oceans. This poem talks so favorably of the community that I'm glad he has experienced some good in the world; even though throughout the poem he has to convince the reader/society that this is a good, strong community because they don't believe it. I can really sense friendship within the city from how favorably he talks about it. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: For the Taxi Cabs that Pass Me in Harvard Square (42) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Lack of opportunity/representation of black people; even if you succeed, your skin color holds you back; being colored in America makes simple tasks more difficult Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Repetition/anaphora, each stanza is a pentameter, free verse, simile, parallel structure of each stanza, downtrodden atmosphere, relation to God creating earth Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? This poem first appeared to me like he was writing about the historical past- but after the stanza about holding out his Harvard ID, I realized this could have been a personal experience of an idea that he generated from a story. The uniformity of the stanzas makes it easy for the reader to understand the frustration he ensued from being rejected each time from the taxis, which are usually a simple thing. At the end, he includes more personal stanzas about how his teacher taught him to not become a typical black teen who has tattoos and such, and the stanza about his grandmother explaining the unfortunate situation of their race. He truly explores personal experience and allows readers to understand this judgment that makes him feel like a monster. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: The Men in Orange (49) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Injustice within prison systems; unlivable and unfavorable conditions in prisons; never changing reality of justice systems; judgements made on imprisoned people Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Essay-like structure, enjambment, talking as his wiser and older self to present self, free verse, simile, imagery, Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? This poem feels like a wiser version of Smith speaking to his present self and attempting to explain the unjust criminal justice system. The whole poem evokes a trapped and tense sense within me because many people- not only men- exist in this uninspiring, hopeless environment known as prison. I began to wonder why they have to be clothed in orange; because that just serves as an identification for the rest of society to know that they made a mistake and are imprisoned. The structure of the poem feels like an essay, with the free verse and double line-spacing. He essentially criticizes the justice system without directly doing so, and I find that very effective. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “From the Cell Block” (51) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: Lack of humanity in prison in America; people imprisoned are extremely separated from the rest of society; personal experiences from life in prison; sensing freedom Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Simile “[leaves] fall from each branch and litter the ground like dust”, connotation of leaves being dust- dust is generally perceived as invasive and dirty, enjambment, third person POV like he is narrating, assonance “been in prison since he was seventeen”, in medias res, imagery of leaves, personification of leaves “skipping atop the concrete”, one single stanza, deliberate speaking of ‘thirty-eight’ Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or This poem takes on a melancholy mood so the reader feels sympathy for ‘Daniel’ who has been imprisoned for a vast majority of his life. I am wondering who this Daniel is; I tried feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? looking it up, but could not find anything as far as I went. The structure of this poem is also short and squat, being that there is only one stanza with single spacing. I do wonder what this poem would sound like from Daniels' experience in his own point of view. Daniel was likely someone who Clint met when he worked in prisons writing about life there. This poem is successful in that it caught some of my emotions from the direct explaining how Dnaiels life, but also backed up his experiences with similes. I wonder what the significance of leaves are, but I assume freedom for how they can float and fly freely in the air and are not trapped. Title (in quotation marks) and page #: “How Malcolm Learned to Read” (50) Specific Topics/ Themes/Issues addressed in the poem: The power of words; educational opportunities for those separated from it Authorial Choices (literary/rhetorical devices, figurative language, syntax, etc.): Anaphora “before… before'', third person and then first person POV separated by Malcom’s experience learning reading and writing, clear and separate stanzas, enjambment, personal ode to Malcolm (essentially), hyperbole of learning “every word from the dictionary”, caesura between lines that have a fast pace compared to shorter simple sentences, metaphor for memory being a harbor you must anchor knowledge to Your response, such as… What stands out to you? What thoughts or feelings did it evoke? Why did you choose it? Reading this poem after the biographical experience of Malcolm’s learning to read in prison made this poem seem like an ode. Poems act as a way to summarize emotions and events and I feel Smith did that beautifully. This poem seems so personal that he must have gotten so much inspiration from Malcolm as a role model for overcoming his unfortunate situation and taking time to learn something purposeful. I do think that the single line in the middle of the poem is a bit confusing because it doesn’t fit entirely with the other two stanzas. I enjoyed the pacing of the poem because having pauses allowed for it to sink in well.