Alliteration and the use of techniques
the point of this poem is to get the picture of slaves into your head working hard and the only fun they get is to play limbo
The poem "Limbo" was written by West Indian poet Edward Kamau Brathwaite in 1962. Brathwaite is known for his contributions to Caribbean literature and his exploration of the African diaspora experience in the Caribbean. "Limbo" is a powerful and evocative poem that addresses themes of slavery, oppression, and cultural identity.
It depends. It doesn't use specific formal language and is set-out like a song with the 'beat of the drum' creating a heartbeat. The poem uses lots of repetition which may suggest it to be informal, yet it has no slang or shortened words. I don't think this poem is trying to be formal or informal, it just wants to portray the location and actions of the slaves through a rhythmical structure.
1684
This poem tells the story of slavery in a rhyming, rhythmic dance. It is ambitious and complex. There are two narratives running in parallel: * the actions of the dance, and * the history of a people which is being enacted. Going down and under the limbo stick is likened to the slaves' going down into the hold of the ship, which carries them into slavery. In Roman Catholic tradition, limbo is a place to which the souls of people go, if they are not good enough for heaven or bad enough for hell, between which limbo lies; it has come to mean any unpleasant place, or a state (of mind or body) from which it is difficult to escape. The story of slavery told in the poem is very easy to follow, yet full of vivid detail and lively action. The poem has a very strong beat, suggesting the dance it describes: where the word limbo appears as a complete line, it should be spoken slowly, the first syllable extended and both syllables stressed: Lím-bó. While the italics give the refrain (or chorus) which reminds us of the dance, the rest of the poem tells the story enacted in the dance: these lines are beautifully rhythmic, and almost every syllable is stressed, until the very last line, where the rhythm is broken, suggesting the completion of the dance, and the end of the narrative.
Edward Kamau Brathwaite wrote Limbo to describe the pain the West African slaves went through on the ships. How they were in darkness and also how no matter what they did they couldn't escape all they could here was their heart beating in the rhythm of limbo.
The theme of the poem Limbo is the Slaves and their journey on slave ship from Africa to America. It is believed that the limbo dance was created on slave ships which could be where the name came from.
the point of this poem is to get the picture of slaves into your head working hard and the only fun they get is to play limbo
The poem "Limbo" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite may be available for download on reputable poetry websites, such as Poetry Foundation, PoemHunter, or through online bookstores where his collections are sold. It's important to purchase and download from legal and authorized sources to respect the copyright of the author.
The poem "Limbo" was written by West Indian poet Edward Kamau Brathwaite in 1962. Brathwaite is known for his contributions to Caribbean literature and his exploration of the African diaspora experience in the Caribbean. "Limbo" is a powerful and evocative poem that addresses themes of slavery, oppression, and cultural identity.
normal
it is supposed to be symbolic to the slaves' continiuous suffering. Also fits in with the dance that is being acted out with the poem. Because the poem symbolises the journey of the slaves. The poem begins with a capital letter to symbolise the beginning of the journey and ends with a full stop to show the journey has ended. It is a way of using structure and form to reflect or shape meaning. becasue it shows the way the slaves are getting on the boat it shows the flow of the slaves
It is currently an English Language GCSE poem from the AQA exam board so you are able to get a copy from their website.
The limbo poem by Seamus Heaney is set in a bog in Ireland. Heaney draws inspiration from the peat bogs of his childhood in Northern Ireland to explore themes of history, memory, and identity in his poetry.
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The old man in Edward's poem died at the end.
The Limbo Dance is believed that it was invented on the slavery ships by the slaves themselves as a way of keeping fit in confined conditions. The poem is telling a story of the limbo dance, however, at the same time telling a story of slavery. For example: "stick hit sound" This suggests the sound of someone hitting a stick to the beat of the music, but at the same time, the sound of a slave being hit by a stick. Another one is "down down down" This suggests the stick being lowered in the dance but, at the same time, it telling us about the slaves being taken down to the bottom of the ship and it could also be their feelings; "down down down" - their hope and happiness being brought down to despair and misery.