Strange Fruit

Strange Fruit

by Abel Meeropol

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin’ in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin’ eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin’ flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Summary of the Poem Strange Fruit

• Popularity of “Strange Fruit”: Written by Abel Meeropol, a phenomenal American Jewish writer and schoolteacher, “Strange Fruit” is a sad poem. The poem accounts for the lynching of African Americans and casts a strong look at South American racism. In fact, it explains the brutality and torture the African American folks have had to go through at the hands of white supremacists. The poem, however, has won fame due to its graphic presentation of the struggles of the Africans.
• “Strange Fruit” As a Representation of the Dark Side of Human Nature: This poem is about the gruesome brutalities the African American community faced in the past. It begins when the speaker says that the trees in Southern America are heavy with unusual fruits. There is blood on their roots and leaves as the dead bodies of black lynching people sway to and fro in the southern wind. The speaker compares these bodies to strange fruit and states that these rotten bodies create a shocking sensation in his mind. In the second stanza, he presents a stark companion between American chivalry and the brutalities present in the American state. While praising the beauty of American land, the speaker says that the sweet smell of magnolia flowers floats in the air until, suddenly, the nasty smell of burning flesh turns joy into sorrow. The poem’s final stanza shows that even after death, no one shows mercy on the deceased. Their corpses decompose in a natural environment. Using figurative language, he explains that the troubles of these unfortunate souls do not end with death; their bodies get brutal treatment even after demise.
• Major Themes in “Strange Fruit”: Terror, the dark side of human nature, racism, and injustice are the poem’s major themes. This horrifying poem highlights people’s capacity for injustice and violence. The writer highlights the acute lynching carried out in the past in South America. He tries to paint a realistic picture of how the mob of white people brutally murdered African Americans. He uses the image of the rotten bodies of African Americans as an extended metaphor to show how racism dehumanizes its victims. Placing the tree at the center of the subject, the writer explains how the exploitation of human beings affects the natural environment. The inappropriate use of absolute power ruthlessly changes beautiful views into haunted scenes. The poem ends with an ironic stanza, where the poet highlights how the dead bodies of those victims decompose in a natural setting. It seems that American racism is a poison that spreads violence and hatred.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Strange Fruit

Abel Meeropol has used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices used in this poem are as follows.

1. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees” and the sound of /o/ in “For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop.”
2. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sounds of /s/ and /t/ in “Then the sudden smell of burnin’ flesh.”
3. Allusion: Allusion is a belief and an indirect reference of a person, place, thing, or idea of a historical, cultural, political, or literary significance. The hanging of strange fruit from the branches of trees in South America alludes to the lynching of the blacks.
4. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /t/ in Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees” and the sound of /r/ in “For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck.”
5. Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;

“Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop”

6. Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The title of the poem is ironic as it hints at a fruit, but the poem is about the brutalities the blacks faced in the past.
7. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Abel Meeropol has used imagery in this poem such as “Southern trees bear a strange fruit”, “Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh” and “For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck.”
8. Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet compares the dead bodies of African Americans to a strange fruit throughout the poem, such as “Southern trees bear a strange fruit.”
9. Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols such as terror, killing, racism, and death.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Strange Fruit

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

1. Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
2. End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Abel Meeropol has used end rhyme in this poem such as; “fruit/root”, “breeze/trees” and “south/mouth.”
3. Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain.
4. Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows AABB rhyme Scheme, and this pattern continues until the end.
5. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising four verses.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to use when talking about the decomposition of dead bodies in the natural environment.

“Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop.”