Amiri Baraka- Wise 1----------Dr Avdhesh Axar---9125992117

What is the meaning? The setting in this poem could be in a small town, most likely in Africa. It
reads, "If your ever find yourself lost and surrounded by enemies who won't let you speak your
own language." This phrase in literary forms could mean, if you lived through a time of
inequality and weren't allowed to be yourself, that you need to either make change happen, or
leave to a place that change has happened. Beyond literal terms this poem could also say that if
your scared and can't face the truth, or your being bullied, make a change and speak up.
Remember, one can make a difference.
What is the poet trying to tell us? Amiri Baraka's touching poem brings out the idea of
inequality. It could be at your home, at school, or even in your country. If your enemy won't let
you speak your own language, or destroys your cultural objects, or even judges you because of
your beliefs, it is not ok, and you need to show and tell them that it is not ok.
What is the meaning of this poem? This poem shows inequality. The author wants to make it
clear that discretion is not okay, but wants to still inform you that it happens. If you see it
happen, or its happening to you, speak out and make a difference.
POETIC DEVICES
Example 1-
-"Omm boom ba boom"
-Alliteration
-The alliteration in this part of the poem brings a sense of happiness inside the fear. If the enemy
doesn't let you play your instrument and make the "Omm boom ba boom" rhythm, make them let
you, are go somewhere else and do it.
-This alliteration doesn't effect the poem too much, but it brings some traditional happiness into
the poem, where it could be thought of as harsh without.

Example 2-
-"Destroy your statues"
-Imagery
-The statues bring an image into my head because the setting seems like a united group of people
that create statues that express them as a whole.
-The image in the poem does affect the poem in a way with it you think the group is cultural, but
without it the group of people are different.

Example 3-
"It will probably take you several hundred years to get out"
-Hyperbole
-The line from the poem is a hyperbole. It says it will take hundreds of years to get out, where
they average life is only 84.
-This is important because it is the meaning of the poem. If you don't make something happen, it
won't happen for a long time.
-History of the Movement
The Black Arts Movement started in the 1960's with the cooperation of Amiri Baraka and James
Baldwin. The movement focused on Theater, Art, and Music and consisted of people such as
Rosa Guy, Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, and Maya Angelou. The people first came together
in 1965 and grew out of changing political and cultural and black artists need to make space for
themselves. The people of the movement came together after the assassination of Malcolm X and
seemed to help African-Americans to advance in society whether a small amount or a larger
amount. They expressed the trials and tribulations the average black went through in their
everyday life.

-Poem Analysis
Amiri Baraka's poem 'Wise I' seems to take a slightly comedic standpoint to convey an ironic
message. The poems purpose seems to display to the reader a history long forgotten but
somehow still fresh in our minds. The poem states that if an enemy destroys your culture,
including religion and language, then you are in a trouble that could take centuries to get out of,
and then some. What makes this poem apart of the black arts movement is the fact that the motif
is hinted at the legacy of slavery which helps tell the reader that the poem is more than likely
black art. African Americans of today are descendants of the wants that were in trouble all those
years ago and still have not gotten out of it completely.

-Literary Devices
Irony - This poem uses a dark sense of humored irony to explain an event that occurred many
centuries ago. It appears that the poet is telling other people a warning of what could happen to
them that already happened to Africans in slavery so that tragedy does not repeat itself. The poet
uses phrases such as "surrounded by enemies", "won't let you speak your own language, destroys
your statues and instruments". These phrases are used to display how the people were not only
conquered but also dehumanized so as to feel like hollow shells of themselves and are less likely
to refuse.

Onomatopoeia- This device is not used frequently in the poem but it has a valid purpose. The
phrase "omm boom ba boom" at least twice in the poem. This sound could not only be used to
represent the sound of the drums the people play but also could express the language the people
spoke that may sound useless to their captors. This is another example of dehumanization at the
time because yet another human right is being taken away like their freewill.