LITR 5731: Seminar in American Multicultural Literature

Poetry Presentation, fall 2007

Thursday, 30 August: The Classic Slave Narratives, ed. H. L. Gates

Poetry: Jupiter Hammon, "An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penetential Cries"
Poetry reader / discussion leader: instructor

Biographical background:

• One of the first published black American poets.
• Born a slave on Long Island, NY 1711 (NY emancipation 1827)
• To Hartford CT during Revolution, published verses and prose sermons
• Address to the Negroe: In the State of New-York (1787 + reprints)
• All publications acknowledge slavery to Lloyd family and assistance in publishing
• Also wrote "An Address to Miss Phillis Wheatley" (1778)

"An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penetential Cries" shows the opportunities and frameworks available for early African American literature.

The poem exemplifies the dilemma of how to express one's own voice within the confines of slavery. It sounds impossible, but devoted attention may pick up a voice coming through that may deal with both realities at once.

Objectives:

Objective 4: To register the minority dilemma of assimilation or resistance—i. e., do you fight or join the culture that oppressed you? What balance do minorities strike between economic benefits and personal or cultural sacrifices?

Objective 1c. To observe alternative identities and literary strategies developed by minority cultures and writers to gain voice and choice:

·        “double language” (same words mean different things to different audiences)

·        using the dominant culture’s words against them

·        conscience to dominant culture (which otherwise forgets the past).

How is Hammon using double language?

How does the language of Christianity transfer to political usages? How much may we be imposing our political perspective on a poem that may be only religious?

Given inevitable sensitivity regarding use of religious literature in public schools, how attack or defend using this poem?

Copy of poem

Extended questions:

Other examples of fusion between religious and political expression in African America? Why the greater tolerance than in dominant culture religion & politics?

Any examples of double language in the slave narratives?

349-50 double language 262-3

Line 5: "Dear Jesus, we would fly to Thee"

Theme of "Flying Africans" recurs through African American legends and recent literature