‘A Double Standard’ by Frances Harper is a powerful condemnation of gender inequalities and social hypocrisy, offering a timeless critique that continues to resonate.
Frances Harper's poems often focus on social justice issues, particularly those concerning race and gender. 'A Double Standard' is no exception, examining gender inequality and societal hypocrisy. Her ability to weave personal narratives with larger societal themes makes her work resonant and relevant.
Do you blame me that I loved him?
If when standing all alone
I cried for bread a careless world
Pressed to my lips a stone.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s ‘The Slave Mother’ portrays an enslaved woman’s anguish, emphasizing the enduring power of love amid oppression.
This poem is a good representation of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's poems. Harper was an abolitionist and social reformer, and many of her poems focused on themes of slavery, human rights, and the plight of African Americans. 'The Slave Mother' exemplifies her ability to capture the emotional depth of the human experience and confront the harsh realities of slavery, showcasing her powerful use of imagery, emotive language, and social commentary.
Heard you that shriek? It rose
So wildly on the air,
It seem’d as if a burden’d heart
Was breaking in despair.
‘Learning to Read’ by Frances Harper is a powerful poem about formerly enslaved people learning to read and gaining independence and strength through education.
This poem is a great example of Harper's commitment to advocating for education as a means of liberation, empowerment, and resistance against oppression. Her poetry holds historical importance as it sheds light on the experiences of African Americans during a tumultuous period in American history, showcasing the resilience and determination of the human spirit to overcome adversity.
Very soon the Yankee teachers
Came down and set up school;
But, oh! how the Rebs did hate it,—
It was agin’ their rule.
‘Bury Me in a Free Land’ depicts the cruel custom of slavery that prevailed in America. This poem presents the speaker’s wish to be buried in a land where no men are treated as slaves.
Have you ever imagined what it felt like observing innocent lives being traded at the slave auction? It is vividly portrayed through the eyes of Frances Harper in her poem ‘The Slave Auction’.
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