Shane D’sa

Mr. Damaso

Honors English II, Period 7

3 May 2010

Speaking for the Overlooked

"As labor creates the wealth of the country, we demand the passage of such laws as may

be necessary to protect it in all its rights."

John Peter Altgeld

Sweat drips down a worker’s head. Every day, a worker comes back to the same place

where he is not valued. His work is not treasured; his rights are overlooked. While working at a

wage of 18 cents per hour and 50 to 55 hours per week, the worker spent time in a hot and dirty

factory (“Glass Factory Jobs”). Every day, a worker would come to a factory with hundreds of

others that is even not safe to work at. Factories even employed kids around the age of ten during

the 1880s (“Glass Factory Jobs”). This was a stark reality when a worker worked in a glass

factory in the early 20th century (“Glass Factory Jobs,” 1). Workers received little rights when it

came to labor in factories. Many writers wrote about the plight of working conditions endured by

people

Wright lived a life where he understood the value of labor rights. He was born on

December 13, 1927 in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio ("Biography of James Wright," par. 1). Over the

course of his life he wrote four books of poetry. He worked with Martin Bly in the early 1960s,

another poet translating South American and German poetry ("Biography of James Wright" par.

3). His third book The Branch Will Not Break, was special because it employed the use of deep

images (Larson). His use of deep images explored where “One does not look inward merely for
an image; one goes in deep in order to synthesize inner and outer realities” (Larson 1.). His three

most famous poems, “A Blessing,” “Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine

Island, Minnesota,” and “Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio,” are all connected by their

description of the labor rights movement.

Wright’s life gives insight into his style of poetry. His father worked in a glass factory

and mother in a laundry (“James Wright Biography,” par. 2). In high school, Wright experienced

a nervous breakdown and had to graduate a year late (“James Wright Biography,” par. 2). He

joined the army in 1946, after high school, and was stationed in Japan (“James Wright

Biography,” par. 2). After returning from the service, he attended college at Kenyon College

(“James Wright Biography,” par. 2). In 1953, he moved to Vienna to study at University of

Vienna on a Fulbright Scholarship (“James Wright Biography,” par. 2). While in Vienna, Wright

discovered the works of Trakl, which changed Wright’s style of poetry (Elkins 68). Wright

married Liberty Kardules in1953 and had two sons with her ("Biography of James Wright," par.

3). After separating from Liberty, Wright befriended Robert Bly who would greatly affect

Wright’s later poetry ("The Biography of James Wright," par. 3). Bly, at that time, was

struggling to find his own voice (“Biography of James Wright,” par. 3). Wright would later teach

at Hunter College in 1966 (“James Wright Biography,” par. 6). In 1979, Wright was diagnosed

with cancer of the tongue, and he died on March 25, 1980 ("The Biography of James Wright,"

par. 8). Wright lived a life that helped form him to be the person that wrote his famous poems.

Wright’s writing in The Branch Will Not Break was very revolutionary compared to his

previous works. In The Branch Will not Break, he had no recognizable meter or rhyme while his

stanzas length also varied in length. Wright also delved into the new technique of deep images,

which focused on the inner meanings of a poem. Wright’s poems “testify to the difficult of living
and making sense of the data that overwhelm us” (Elkins 79). This transition was affected by

Wright translating poets like Georg Trakl and Cesar Vallejo ("Biography of James Wright," par.

3). Bly and Wright worked on Latin and Germany poetry which “stretched the boundaries of

poetic language” before writing The Branch Will Not Break ("Biography of James Wright," par.

3). Wright’s writing in The Branch Will Not Break was not only affected by his life but what

was happening during his lifetime.

James Wright lived through many events during his lifetime. During World War II,

Wright lived through the importance of the trade unions and workers rights. During World War

II while America was mobilized for war, trade unions became more powerful and were spurned

by countries fearing revolution (“Organized Labor” 1). They did this to compromise with the

workers as a measure to eliminate socialism and communism spreading (“Organized Labor” 1).

Roosevelt also provided the National War Labor Board to hinder any disputes hindering the war

effort (Schumann par. 4). New restrictions in turn affected the hiring of people, and now

employers were providing benefits like medical insurance and pensions (Schumann par. 4).

During his time, Wright also lived through the Civil Rights Movement. The struggle for African

American civil rights spanned during the 1960s. Events like Martin Luther King Junior’s “I have

a dream” speech and Rosa Park’s buss incident both captivated the country ("Civil Rights

Movement Timeline" 1). The struggle to gain civil liberties encompassed all of America. This

new transition, opened new opportunities and made America truly equal. These two major events

both helped shape Wright’s poetry and life.

Wright’s life and historical events happening during his life all helped him in writing his

poems. James Wright in his book The Branch Will Not Break describes the social progress of

labor rights over the course of America’s history. The reason for this could be where his parents
worked, which gave him insight into the lack of proper working conditions in factories. He

would have firsthand knowledge of a life where a parent earns a minimal wage and works long

hours. James Wright living during the Civil Rights Movement would have showed him the lack

of civil rights and human rights the African American population experience. He also lived

during World War II where trade unions advocated the increase in labor rights. All of these

events and experiences helped Wright write his poems.

The three most famous poems in Wright’s The Branch Will Not Break all discuss the

labor rights movement. “A Blessing” is about two men who enter a pasture where they encounter

two horses. Throughout the poem the narrator describes the beauty of these poems. The narrator

seems even to envy the beauty of these animals at one point. “Lying in a Hammock at William

Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota” is about a man whom reclines in a hammock and

describes the setting around him. He sees abnormal sights, and narrator throughout the poem sees

the world around him and recognizes how his life has turned out. “Autumn Begins in Martins

Ferry, Ohio” takes place in the town in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The narrator starts about describing

a scene in a football stadium and transitions to talk about the people working throughout the

town. In the second stanza, Wright talks about fathers ashamed to come home and towards the

end about boys running against each other. These three poems outline the history of the labor

rights movement starting with the problem, recognizing the problem, and solving the problem.

“Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota” describes

how workers are manipulated. The poem underlines the struggles of America’s working class and

describes it as a “daily grind of their lives as what they have been handed by American society

and the political agendas that keep the status quo intact” (“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry,

Ohio” 6). The manipulated animals, like the butterfly and cows, show how society has
manipulated people to conform to their ideals. The butterfly, or workers, being on a black trunk,

factory, alludes to the fact that workers work in substandard factories. The adjective of black,

symbolizes darkness. The factories were dirty and hot, with the workers working 50 hours per

week (“Glass Factory Jobs,” 1). The cowbells, or workers, walking in a straight line paints the

image of cows walking in a straight line, when in reality cows move aimlessly and in no specific

direction. This is about how workers are limited to do what they want and are treated like

animals. These cows are forced to be “mindless animals” and the cows leaving the pasture can

symbolize how fathers were forced to be away from their families due to the long work weeks.

The image of the droppings of horses blazing up, paints an image of hardened poop. The horses

can be alluded to workers, and their droppings symbolize their toils of their hard work. The

droppings hardening are significant in that the toils of the workers go unnoticed. This poem

underlines the manipulation and exploitation of workers.

“A Blessing” correlates very well to describe Wright’s theme of labor rights in that it

describes the understanding of why labor rights are necessary. The narrator describes the two

men in the poem, or wealthy factory owners, as “people are always passing by without truly

connecting to the place” (“A Blessing” 5). The factory owners are dethatched from the pains and

stuggles their workers face. They are only focused on their own lives and making money, which

leads them to overlook the basic rights their workers receive. The horses, or workers in this case,

are overjoyed that the men have come to meet them. The workers are ready to be accepted and

given rights they had longed for so long. They have been advocating labor rights, and now their

cries had been heard. They are overjoyed by the fact that these men take time out of their time to

see what the “horses” go through. The factory owners are now cognizant of the working

conditions their employees face. Now, their working condition rights are taken seriously. In line
22, the man caresses the pony and he shows love and apology for all actions (line 22). The

narrator recognizes that the “visitors” cannot fully recognize the beauty of these ponies. The

images in line 18, describes one pony as “black and white,” this puts the image of an African

American male in the reader’s head. These groups were therefore overlooked, and their basic

rights also in the workplace. Line thirty’s imagery leads the reader to imagine the pony as almost

human (line 30). The men now realize the horse is human. The narrator realizes that he must do

what it takes to correct the situation, even if it means backlash from his colleagues.

“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” describes how a new generation will solve the

labor rights’ problems. “Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” describes line two as a

“distasteful euphemism is not so much an ethnic slur as a recognition of the plight of so many

immigrants who came to America” (“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” 3). In line 6,

“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” describes it a

quick juxtaposition is indicative of the dual roles that Wright believes most of

America’s working class has been forced to play. On the outside, the men are

nearly beaten down by poverty, frustration, and a hopeless future. On the inside,

they take pride in the strength and endurance of their sons who fight so bravely on

the field (“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” 18).

The imagery of line two: “I think of Polacks nursing long beers in Tiltsonville”

describes how minorities work in hard labor jobs. In line six, the imagery of fathers ashamed to

coming home is very powerful (line 6). The meaning of this is that the fathers are ashamed

because they work for long hours but bring home very little money (“Autumn Begins in Martins

Ferry, Ohio” 18). They are sad that they cannot provide for their families because their work in

the factory does not pay them well (“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” 18). The article
“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry Ohio” describes the men in line eight as “They have no ability

to change their lives, to better their environments, or to pro-vide a generous lifestyle for their

families” (“Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” 18-19) (line 8). In line eleven, the fact that

the boys grow in October, paints the image of crops (line 11). Crops are harvested in the fall, and

these boys are the same. They are given all the sufficient knowledge of life, and grow to be

beautiful. The next line’s imagery leads the reader to believe that these boys then “gallop” off to

create change, because they run away from their home, which is full of problems. This poem

describes how a new generation is made that solves the problems of the previous generation. The

“sons” help give their “fathers” labor rights at the factories. The description of the labor rights

movement in America is portrayed in this poem. This poem caps how the labor rights are at last

given to the workers.

The struggle of labor right can be translated into the entertainment industry today. “Blood

Diamond” describes how in Sierra Leone people are enslaved by their own people and are forced

to work in diamond mines (Edelstein par. 3). The movie depicts how the Revolutionary United

Front takes its people as slaves to mine diamonds and these diamonds are used to fund their war.

Edward Zwick, the director, portrays the life of a Sierra Leone fisherman, Solomon Vandy, who

finds a precious pink diamond and fights to help free his family. Throughout Sierra Leone,

peoples’ rights are ignored, while many are killed brutally or killed. Edward Zwick is known for

heroic and emotional movies (Edelstein 1). “Blood Diamond” especially has to do with labor

rights.

“Blood Diamond” depicts the struggle to end a futile war and the evil trade of blood

diamonds. The diamond mines depicted are one where children and men of all ages are forced to

work in these mines. These people are worthless to the RUF soldiers, and are killed out of sport
sometimes. The enslaved people are treated very badly. David Denby describes natural resource

discovery in Africa as “every time a valuable natural resource has been discovered in Africa—

whether it’s ivory, gold, or diamonds—white Europeans have hired surrogates to plunder the

good” (Denby 2). As a result of this discovery, people’s rights are thrown out the window, and the

only point on the mind of the “Europeans” is monetary gain at any cost. The struggle for

independence and basic recognition of human rights is similar to James Wright’s description of

social progress of labor rights over the course of America’s history.

“Imagine” by John Lennon also discusses the progress of labor rights. John Lennon was

part of the Beatles and after the band broke up sang his own music where he also preached peace

("Imagine by John Lennon Songfacts" 1). “Imagine” is about a world where there are no

differences. There are no countries or anything that stands in the way of a united world. It was

written in 1975 ("Imagine by John Lennon Songfacts" 1). “Imagine” does a perfect job of

describing a society where people are respected and have the proper labor rights.

Lennon wants a world where everyone is equal when it comes to human rights in

general. He wants a world where everyone is respected and rights are acknowledged ("Imagine

by John Lennon Songfacts" 1). He wants a utopia where everyone is cared for, and no one is

overlooked in society. In stanza two line six, Lennon sings “Living life in peace,” and in stanza

three line three he also sings “No need for greed or hunger.” John Lenin preaches the progression

of human rights and the world in general. Lennon imagines a world where people are properly

paid and there is no friction when it comes to working condition. He also thinks of a future

where all are at peace because they work in proper working conditions. Lennon wants to have a

world full of love, and the end product is the same that James Wright wants.
 James Wright in his book The Branch Will Not Break uses natural imagery to describe

the progress of human rights over the course of America’s history. Over time the plight of

laborers and workers are seen, and they received their due rights to work in safe and proper

paying places. No matter in history, the recognition of human rights is necessary to value every

human being no matter their religion, ethnicity, or political standing.

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