Tupac Shakur was an American rapper known for his songs addressing social issues, especially in the black community. Even though he has not less than twenty-four poems to his name, he wasn’t particularly known for writing poems.
His poems focused on love, religion, family, and so on. Some of his unpublished poems were released after his death. His poem, ‘Jada,’ is playfully written but seriously intended. It focuses on a man deeply in love and expressing himself.
Summary
‘Jada’ is a poem written by Tupac to Jada, professing his undying love for her.
Jada, his friend from childhood, shared it on what would have been Tupac’s 50th birthday in June 2021. Tupac and Jada were speculated to be romantically involved back then, but they never confirmed, and neither did they deny it.
The speaker (who also happens to be the poet) starts by telling Jada what she is to him. It is in the first stanza he tells her that she is a typical representation of a black woman. Tupac was known for his love for the black community, and this was him speaking highly of her.
In the remaining two stanzas of ‘Jada‘, the speaker expresses his worries that Jada will never fully understand how much he loves her, and he might end up losing her because of that. He ends by telling her how deeply in love he is with her and how she is capable of making him climax without sex. He calls her a friend.
Structure and Form
‘Jada‘ is a three-stanza poem. Each stanza has four lines, known as quatrain. The second and last lines of stanzas two and three rhyme. In stanza two, the second and third lines end with “u,” while in stanza three, “grace” rhymes with “replace.”
Detailed Analysis
Stanza One
U R the omega of my heart
The foundation 4 my conception of Love
When I think of what a black woman should be
Its u that I First think of
The speaker starts by describing what Jada is to him and just how much he loves her. He holds black women in high esteem, and that is why he sees Jada, whom he loves so much, as a typical representation of the black woman.
Omega is the ultimate, and he says she is the omega of his heart. It means that he revers her, and when he sees her, he sees love. This is a man in love, and the reader can feel the love in the air.
The speaker makes use of metaphor to convey his thoughts clearly. He does not say she is similar to something good, he just goes on and says she is good. He does not mince words. The speaker, though likely sober, is very much drunk in love.
Stanza Two
U will never fully understand
(…)
and I’ll end up losing u
He goes on, extolling her. This time, he tells her how much he cares for her and that she’ll never fully understand how deeply his heart feels for her. He then goes on to express his concerns that they’ll grow apart.
The word “deeply” paints for the reader a picture of something unending and unquantifiable. That is how much the speaker loves his muse, Jada.
Stanza Three
U bring me 2 climax
(…)
a Friend I could never replace
The speaker continues to express himself. He talks about how the way she makes him feel reminds him of a sex-related climax. He tells Jada that she makes him feel so good and so satisfied, even without sex. He calls her his heart in human form. Here again, he comes with the metaphor. She is not like his heart in human form; she is his heart in human form. Finally, he calls her a friend. A friend is someone to be relied on, and this is how the speaker sees his muse.
FAQs
Tupac Shakur’s love for Jada inspired ‘Jada.’ Tupac and Jada grew up together and were very close friends. There were speculations of them being romantically involved, but neither of them confirmed this. Tupac’s love for Jada made him pick up his pen to write her this love poem.
The mood of ‘Jada’ is thankful and reflective. The speaker is thankful for having Jada on his side. However, he also expresses his worries that she’ll never understand how deeply he feels for her and might leave him because of that.
‘Jada’ explores the theme of gratitude. The speaker (Tupac Shakur) talks about how he feels and how much Jada means to him. He calls her a friend.
‘Jada’ is a romantic poem. It is undoubtedly a poem about love and friendship. The speaker writes, appreciating Jada, expressing himself, telling her how she may never get to know how deeply he loves her and how he fears she might leave him because of that.
Similar Poetry
If you enjoyed ‘Jada‘ by Tupac, you’d probably enjoy the following poems too:
- ‘Song: To Celia’ by Ben Johnson – is a poem that talks about the intensity of the love the speaker and his love interest have for each other.
- ‘A Dream Girl’ by Carl Sandburg – is addressed to the speaker’s dream girl.
- ‘Longing‘ by Matthew Arnold – is a romantic poem dedicated to the speaker’s lover.
