UNIVERSITY OF

ABUJA
FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT ENGLISH
GROUP PRESENTATION ON BLACK
DIASPORA LITERATURE
THE ANALYSES OF “THE AWAKENING”
POEM BY JAMES WELDON JOHNSON

COIURSE CODE: ENL 417

COURSE TITLE: LITERETURE Of BLACK
DIASPORA
GROUP PARTICIPANTS:
18221092: DENNIS SIMON NUHU
18221093:HILDA HASSANA LUKA

LECTURER: DR. MRS. MBA

 “The Awakening by James” Weldon Johnson

I dreamed that I was a rose

That grew beside a lonely way,

Close by a path none ever chose,

And there I lingered day by day.

Beneath the sunshine and the show’r

I grew and waited there apart,

Gathering perfume hour by hour,

And storing it within my heart,

Yet, never knew,

Just why I waited there and grew.

I dreamed that you were a bee

That one day gaily flew along,

You came across the hedge to me,

And sang a soft, love-burdened song.

You brushed my petals with a kiss,

I woke to gladness with a start,

And yielded up to you in bliss

The treasured fragrance of my heart;

And then I knew

That I had waited there for you.

Historical Contex

“The Awakening” is written by American poet James Weldon Johnson. Johnson was
active during the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote several poems and spirituals of black
culture. Johnson’s poem “The Awakening” was written in the 20th century. It explores
the idea of spirituality by using metaphors of a rose and a bee. The simplicity of the
poetic thoughts alongside its emotive language reveals the poet’s devotion to the
almighty. He describes himself as a “rose” that filled itself with the “fragrance” of
knowledge, love, and humanity throughout his lifetime.

James Weldon Johnson’s “The Awakening” is an interesting piece concerning a rose

awaiting for a metaphorical bee to drink it to the lees. This poem does not tap only on
spiritualism but also hovers over a wide array of concepts concerning love, devotion, and
fulfillment. It is on one hand a seeker’s longing for the divine. At the same time, it is a
romantic poem showcasing the essence of spiritual love between two souls. Whatever the
meaning can be, this piece does not let one’s thoughts halt at a single moment. Its
simplicity is what makes the poem more complex.

Summary

“The Awakening” begins with a first-person speaker, representing a rose, describing how
it grew beside a lonely way. It lingered at a path less traveled by. Day by day, it grew to
fullness, gathering the perfume of creation, and treasuring it into its soft, blossomy heart.
The rose never knew why it was there, growing steadily yet silently.

One day, it dreamt of a bee that merrily flew along the way. It flew across the hedge
where the rose lingered long. The beauty of its humming song burdened with love
fulfilled its heart. Then it brushed the rose’s petals with a kiss. It made the speaker so
blissful that he yielded up its treasured fragrance to it. Finally, it realizes why it had been
waiting so long for just that moment.

Themes

1. The role of the supernatural: this theme is seen in the second stanza of the poem
where the poet persona, haven waited, finally gets liberated when God in the form
of a bee "brushed his petals with a kiss" and then he "woke to gladness with a
start". This shows that long-said prayers have been answered, "And then I knew,
that I had waited there for you" also shows the feeling that comes with liberation.
So we can conveniently say that this black man has finally been set free from the
whites by the God he trusted in so much.
2. Theme of patience: The poet persona was patient enough and "lingered day by
day", "grew and waited there apart", waited there and grew" for the bee who
finally came "And sang a soft, love-burdened song", "brushed my petals with a
kiss" and then he was finally awakened just as the title of the poem suggests
 3. The central theme in the poem is that of Spiritual Devotion, Through out the
poem, the poet shows his true devotion to the almighty God, He believes that one
day God in the Form of a “bee” will surely safe them (The Blacks) from all their
suffering.

4. The theme of Spiritual Devotion: The poet showcase his true devotion to the
Almighty God, He believes that God in the form of a “Bee” will come to their
rescue.

What is the poem “The Awakening” about?

This poem is all about a speaker’s dream. He dreamed that he was a rose that grew beside
a lonely way. One day, God, in the form of a bee, came along to awaken his soul from its
slumber of ignorance.

What is the meaning of “The Awakening”?

The title of the poem refers to an act of waking from sleep or becoming suddenly aware
of something. In this piece, the poet describes how he was suddenly aware of his very
existence by the appearance of God as a bee. So, the title implicitly hints at the poet’s
spiritual revelation.

When was the poem “The Awakening” written?

James Weldon Johnson’s poem “The Awakening” was written during the Harlem
Renaissance, in the 20th century.

Who is the speaker of the poem?

The speaker of this piece is the poet James Weldon Johnson himself. He speaks in this
piece through his poetic persona presented as a rose.

What type of poem is “The Awakening”?

“The Awakening” is a lyric written on spirituality. It consists of two sections each having
a set rhyme scheme and meter.

Form, Rhyme Scheme, & Meter

“The Awakening” is a lyric poem written in regular rhyme scheme and meter. It consists
of two stanzas, each having ten lines. The rhyme scheme of each section is
ABABCDCDEE. So, each stanza consists of two quatrains, ending with a rhyming
couplet. Johnson uses the end-stopped lines in order to conclude the sense of each
section.
 Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Johnson uses the following poetic devices in “The Awakening.”

Personification: Johnson personifies the rose by comparing it himself. Besides, he

invests humanly attributes to the bee in order to personify it.

Metaphor: In “Gathering perfume hour by hour”, the poet uses a metaphor. Here,
“perfume” is compared to love and devotion. He also uses metaphors in “love-burdened
song” and “treasured fragrance of my heart”.

Alliteration: It occurs in “day by day”, “hour by hour”, “sang a soft”, etc.

Enjambment: The use of this device can be found in “I dreamed that I was a rose/ That
grew beside a lonely way”. It also occurs in the following lines. Johnson uses this device
to internally connect the lines.

Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis & Explanation

Stanza One

I dreamed that I was a rose

That grew beside a lonely way,

Close by a path none ever chose,

And there I lingered day by day.

Beneath the sunshine and the show’r

I grew and waited there apart,

Gathering perfume hour by hour,

And storing it within my heart,

Yet, never knew,

Just why I waited there and grew.

Johnson’s poem “The Awakening” is written as a short dream sequence. In the first
stanza, the poet shares what he saw in the dream. While the next stanza contains his
revelation. In this stanza, the poetic persona imagines himself as a rose that grew beside a
lonely way. Here, the “rose” is a symbol of his soul, and the “lonely way” is a
metaphorical reference to spirituality. People do not go on this path often. It can also be a
path that the speaker personally preferred for his spiritual development.
The rose lingered there day after day not knowing the answer to what its purpose was. It
grew and waited for the time to come when he would be able to find the answer. In the
meantime, it gathered the essence of love, metaphorically referred to as “perfume”, in
order to fill its heart. It can also be a reference to devotion. However, the speaker in a
confused tone replies that he never knew just why he waited there beside the lonely path.

Stanza Two

I dreamed that you were a bee

That one day gaily flew along,

You came across the hedge to me,

And sang a soft, love-burdened song.

You brushed my petals with a kiss,

I woke to gladness with a start,

And yielded up to you in bliss

The treasured fragrance of my heart;

And then I knew

That I had waited there for you.

In the second stanza, Johnson presents the following part of the dream containing the
answer to his query. This time he dreamed of a bee. He writes, “I dreamed that you were
a bee”. The identity of the person referred to as “you” is implicit. It can be a reference to
God or to his soulmate. In both ways, his ideas make sense.

The bee gaily flew along and came across the hedge where the lonely spirit of the poet
lingered. From his tone, it is clear that he was eagerly waiting for this moment. It sang a
soft song. Johnson describes this song as “love-burdened”. God (or his soulmate) is the
source of love. It seems to him as if he is burdened with love, always eager to share it
among humankind.

He, in the form of a bee, brushed the speaker’s petals (a metaphorical reference to his
senses) with a kiss. It made his soul start at one in gladness. The moment had come. It
was the time to express his devotion to the almighty. So, the speaker yielded up the
“treasured fragrance” of his heart to him in eternal bliss. Here, the poet compares
devotion to the sweet fragrance of a rose.

The speaker was spiritually awakened in a state of perfect happiness. He understood why
he had been waiting for so long. In this way,
In Conclusion “The Awakening” by James Weldon Johnson explores the idea of
spiritual revelation that comes after a long wait.