Southern History
By Natasha Trethewey
Before the war, they were happy, he said, quoting our textbook. (This was a senior year history class.) The slaves were clothed, fed, and better off under a master’s care.
I watched the words blur on the page. No one raised a hand, disagreed. Not even me.
It was late; we still had Reconstruction to cover before the test, and, luckily, Gone with the Wind was shown. The teacher said, “History of the old South is a true account of how things were back then.” On screen a slave stood big as life: big mouth, bucked eyes, our textbook’s grinning proof and a lie my teacher guarded. Silent, so did I.
Summary of Southern History
- A Poem of Discomfort: Natasha Trethewey’s “Southern History” is a poignant fourteen line poem published in her 2007 collection, Native Guard. The poem powerfully challenges the sanitized narratives of the American South presented in history textbooks, specifically concerning slavery. It is a personal reflection on a senior year history class where the teacher perpetuated the myth of benevolent slaveholders and “happy” slaves.
- Challenging Historical Narratives: The poem recounts a classroom scene where the teacher, quoting directly from the textbook, claims slaves were well cared for. The speaker and the rest of the class remain silent despite the obvious falsehood. This silence is key, and it speaks to the power of institutionalized misinformation and the difficulty of challenging accepted narratives. The screening of Gone with the Wind further reinforces the problematic romanticization of the Old South.
- Themes of Silence and Complicity: “Southern History” is not simply about the lies told about slavery; it is about the silence that allows those lies to persist. The speaker’s admission of remaining “silent” highlights the feeling of powerlessness and social pressure to conform. The poem asks us to consider the role we all play in perpetuating harmful narratives, even through inaction.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Southern History
Natasha Trethewey masterfully employs a variety of poetic devices in “Southern History” to enhance its emotional impact and thematic resonance. These techniques contribute to the poem’s ability to challenge readers and prompt critical thinking.
Assonance and Consonance
Trethewey subtly uses sound devices to create a sense of unease. Notice the repetition of vowel sounds in lines like “and better off under a master’s care.” The recurrence of the short “a” sound, assonance, creates a subtle sonic texture. Similarly, the repetition of consonant sounds, consonance, can be found in lines such as “slaves were clothed, fed,” creating a subtle emphasis and drawing attention to the words themselves. These effects contribute to the poem’s overall atmosphere of quiet discomfort.
Enjambment and Line Breaks
The poem’s use of enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause, is particularly effective. For instance, consider this passage:
a true account of how things were back then.
On screen a slave stood big as life: big mouth,
The line break after “back then” creates a slight pause, drawing attention to the irony of the phrase. The “true account” is immediately juxtaposed with the image of a dehumanized slave on the movie screen, highlighting the blatant distortion of history. The enjambment keeps the reader moving forward, mirroring the relentless presentation of a false narrative.
Imagery and Visual Representation
The poem relies heavily on imagery to convey its message. The contrasting images of the textbook’s words and the film’s depiction of slavery are crucial. The “grinning proof” in the textbook is immediately undercut by the visual reality of a “big mouth” and “bucked eyes”—a description that emphasizes the slave’s forced performance of happiness. This contrast forces the reader to question the authenticity of the textbook’s portrayal.
Metaphor and Symbolic Representation
While subtle, the poem uses metaphorical language. The textbook and the film Gone with the Wind can be seen as symbolic representations of a distorted historical narrative. They embody the way in which the history of slavery was—and sometimes continues to be—romanticized. The metaphor underscores the broader theme of lies and silence that shape collective memory.
Analysis of Poetic Form and Structure
The poem is written in free verse. This choice allows for a conversational tone that mirrors oral storytelling traditions while also enabling a flexible structure that can emphasize key moments through line breaks and enjambment. The lack of a regular meter and rhyme scheme reflects the irregular and chaotic nature of the historical injustices discussed. The form itself becomes an additional layer of meaning, echoing the poem’s thematic focus on disruption and resistance.
Quotes to be Used
These are selected passages that capture the core themes and stylistic features of the poem.
a true account of how things were back then.
On screen a slave stood big as life: big mouth,big mouth, bucked eyes, our textbook’s grinning proof and a lie my teacher guarded.
Silent, so did I.
These quotes powerfully expose the disconnect between the idealized portrayals of the past and the brutal realities of slavery. The final line, “Silent, so did I,” is a haunting reminder of the responsibility we all share to challenge injustice and speak truth to power.