2021 Post #23 -- Growth

by Susan Barber

Nikki Giovanni is one of my favorite poets: she has stood the test of time, speaks truth, and continues to teach at Virginia Tech today. I love the way she plays with words and images and makes the abstract and sometimes difficult topic accessible and inviting. Today’s poem, “BLK History Month”, was published in 2002 but speaks to ideas that are relevant today.


Encourage students to:

1. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Fold it in half again until the paper is divided into four squares.

2. Read the poem aloud. “BLK History Month”

3. Illustrate the three images Giovanni uses to draw a parallel to Black History Month and write what you consider to be the most important words associated with each image in the same square.

4. In the fourth square, respond to any of the following questions:

• What do you notice about the words you chose as the most important? What connections can you make between these words and Black History Month?
• How does Giovanni’s choice to use the word “not” throughout this poem strengthen the message?
• How does the work of the wind, the rain, and the sun build on each other? What is the relationship between them?

I think this poem offers encouragement in that even though we do not always see movement, that doesn’t mean growth is not happening.

What acts toward social justice can you do to “carry seeds . . . dampen the ground . . . encourage the seeds to root . . . warm the earth . . . kiss the seedlings?”

Does the way we choose to live each day tell others: “You’re As Good As Anybody Else / You’ve Got A Place Here, Too?”

Further Reading: 

Susan Barber is an English teacher at Grady High School in Atlanta, GA. You can find her on Twitter and IG or sharing what’s happening in her classroom on APLitHelp.com.

2019 Post #21 -- History Written By the Victors

by Mike Melie

Before students read the poem "Enlightenment" by Natasha Tretheway, have students consider and discuss the following quote from Winston Churchill: “History is written by the victors.”

What does Churchill mean? How has America been a “victor” throughout its history - who has it defeated? What would America’s history look like if its history was told from the point of view of one of the groups that it had “defeated”?

After reading the poem, discuss the title: What is the “enlightenment” referred to in the title? Who is enlightened during the course of this poem, and what is the nature of his/her enlightenment?

Next, choose one or more elements of the poem to explore with greater depth.

Paradox: A paradox is a joining of two things that are seemingly impossible to connect together, which forms a contradiction. Example: “I can resist anything but temptation” -Oscar Wilde OR “All [men] are equal, but some are more equal than others” -George Orwell. What examples of paradox or contradiction do you see in this poem? What is the author’s purpose in including these seeming impossibilities?

Analysis: The speaker states, “For years we debated the distance between word and deed...as if to prove a man’s pursuit of knowledge is greater than his shortcomings, the limits of his vision.” Compare Jefferson to the speaker’s father. What were their “pursuits of knowledge”? What were their “shortcomings”? Does one outweigh the other, and is it fair to judge someone’s legacy in these terms?

Tone: Briefly research Sally Hemings here and here. Consider the speaker’s tone (attitude towards the subject matter) when discussing Hemings in the poem. How would you describe this tone? How would you describe the father’s probable tone when discussing Hemings? Support your answers with evidence from the text.

As a closing activity, ask students to reflect on the poem and to apply Churchill’s quote above. As a “victor” in American history, how is Jefferson traditionally portrayed in elementary and high school history classes? After researching more about Sally Hemings, does her story change your view of Jefferson’s accomplishments? Why or why not?

For a post using another one of Natasha Tretheway's poems, click here.

Further Reading:

Mike Melie is an English Teacher and Instructional Coach at Downers Grove North High School in Downers Grove, IL. He is one half of the Trojan Poetry web series with his friend and colleague, John Waite, in which they make poetry accessible for students through conversation (and laughter). You can find Trojan Poetry on YouTube and Twitter; you can also follow Mike’s blog on equity issues here and contact him at mmelie@csd99.org.