Frederick Douglass
By Robert Hayden
When it is finally ours, this freedom, this liberty, this beautiful
and terrible thing, needful to man as air,
usable as earth; when it belongs at last to all,
when it is truly instinct, brain matter, diastole, systole,
reflex action; when it is finally won; when it is more
than the gaudy mumbo jumbo of politicians:
this man, this Douglass, this former slave, this Negro
beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world
where none is lonely, none hunted, alien,
this man, superb in love and logic, this man
shall be remembered. Oh, not with statues’ rhetoric,
not with legends and poems and wreaths of bronze alone,
but with the lives grown out of his life, the lives
fleshing his dream of the beautiful, needful thing.
Summary of Frederick Douglass
- Popularity of “Frederick Douglass”: The poem “Frederick Douglass” by Robert Hayden, a US based African American poet, essayist, and teacher, is a wonderful poetic piece about an African American figure who worked tirelessly to end the scourge of racial discrimination and oppression of his brethren in the United States. The poem appeared first in 1947 in The Atlantic. It was later included in Collected Poems of Robert Hayden. The poetic uniqueness of this poem rests on the thematic strand of freedom and Douglass Frederick, turning both into legends.
- “Frederick Douglass” As a Representative of Racial Discrimination and Freedom: With his usual poetic outlook, Robert Hayden opens “Frederick Douglass” with the hope that they will certainly win freedom. However, the interesting thing is that when they win it, it would seem them beautiful and wonderful thing to have. Equating freedom to other natural elements, he asserts that it is a life-saving physical element like that of the other cardiac functions. However, when they will be able to wrest it from the politicians, they would remember Frederick Douglass, saying that although he suffered a lot during his abolitionist movement and was tortured, he stayed steadfast. Praising the wonderful freedom lover, he goes on to say that Douglass was superb not only in love but also in life and that they are not going to write poetic recitations or laying wreathes on his grave; rather, they are going to recall so many souls working for the same cause after having inspired from his untiring efforts. This is the most pressing work that they are going to do in his memory.
- Major Themes in “Frederick Douglass”: Freedom, oppression and remembrance of a hero are three major thematic strands. The poem starts showing its theme of freedom in the very first line where Robert Haden has called liberty and freedom as one and the same thing with the hope that the African American community would win this one day. However, when they would win it, they will take this work from the politicians and make the African American community to enjoy it fully. In this backdrop, they would recall the heroic figure of Frederick Douglass who has untiringly fought to end the oppression of racial discrimination. The tributes to be paid to Douglass would not just comprise poems, legendary stories, or ceremonial wreaths; rather they would remember all those inspired by him.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Frederick Douglass”
literary devices are unique strategies used to make writings beautiful and meaningful. The analysis of these devices in the poem as given below shows this fact.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /o/ in “than the gaudy mumbo jumbo of politicians”, /a/ in “and terrible thing, needful to man as air” and the sound of /e/ in “When it is finally ours, this freedom, this liberty, this beautiful / and terrible thing, and needful to man as air.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /s/ and /l/ in “when it is truly instinct, brain matter, diastole, systole”, /b/ and /m/ in “than the gaudy mumbo jumbo of politicians” and the sound of /n/ and /l/ in “fleshing his dream of the beautiful, needful thing.”
- 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;
where none is lonely, none hunted, alien,
this man, superb in love and logic, this man
shall be remembered.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The poem shows the use of imagery such as “And terrible thing, needful to man as air”, “than the gaudy mumbo jumbo of politicians” and “beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use liberty as a metaphor, comparing it to a natural element that is usable.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of freedom, air and earth.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Frederick Douglass”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is free verse poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There is a single stanza, having fourteen verses.
- Repetition: The poem shows the use of rhetorical device of repetition that stresses upon the main idea such as “this…” in the first and the 8th verse, and the use of life/lives in the last two verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Frederick Douglass” are relevant to use when teaching about the changing political situations and the role of great heroes who have fought for human values.
Oh, not with statues’ rhetoric,
not with legends and poems and wreaths of bronze alone,
but with the lives grown out of his life, the lives
fleshing his dream of the beautiful, needful thing.
