The poet uses a number of interesting literary techniques in this poem in order to convey deeper meanings. For example, she uses personification to describe the “Sugar cane reach up to God.” This can also be seen as a metaphor for spiritual longing or a cry for help amidst suffering.
Throughout this poem, the poet uses contrasting elements, such as the natural world and the human condition. These contrasts can help you better understand the poet’s intentions. She contrasts the natural growth of sugar cane with human suffering. This highlights the disparity between the natural world and human experiences.
Explore The Memory
- 1 Summary
- 2 Structure and Form
- 3 Literary Devices
- 4 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
Summary
‘The Memory’ by Maya Angelou is a reflection on slavery and the human condition.
In the first stanza of this poem, the speaker begins by alluding to the widespread impact of cotton cultivation. This is usually associated with the history of slavery and hard labor. The poet uses images like the thunderbolts to symbolize the harsh and painful experiences of those working.
In the second stanza, the poet shifts to a more spiritual discussion. She uses the image of sugar cane plants growing tall as a metaphor for spiritual aspiration or a call to God. The pain these people are experience is universal, the poet adds, felt by even the youngest.
The poem ends with the line “And all my days are dying.” Here, the poet conveys a sense of despair over the ongoing hardship.
The Poem Analysis Take
Expert Insights by Emma Baldwin
The poet’s use of language in this piece is a fantastic example of pathos. This is seen through the strong emotional response that the poem is meant to generate, particularly the depiction of suffering, longing, and spiritual yearning.
Structure and Form
‘The Memory’ by Maya Angelou is a two-stanza poem. It is divided into two sets of four lines, known as quatrains and follows a rhyme scheme of ABCB, changing end sounds in the second stanza. For example, “yearning” and “burning” rhyme in stanza one and “crying” and “dying” rhyme in stanza two.
Literary Devices
In this poem, the poet makes use of a few different literary devices. For example:
- Imagery: This can be seen when the poet uses particularly interesting images in their poems. For example, “Cotton rows crisscross the world” and “all my body burning.”
- Symbolism: This is a literary device that occurs when the poet imbues images with added meaning. For example, cotton and sugar cane symbolize labor, suffering, and the history of slavery.
- Personification: This can be seen when the poet uses human-specific images to describe non-human elements. For example, describing the sugar cane as reaching up to God.
- Repetition: This can be seen when the poet uses the same literary element multiple times. For example, the allusions to yearning and suffering that are seen throughout this piece.
Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
Stanza One
Cotton rows crisscross the world
And dead-tired nights of yearning
Thunderbolts on leather strops
And all my body burning
In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker begins by alluding to the widespread impact of cotton cultivation. Cotton, particularly in Angelou’s poetry, is often used to evoke the long history of slavery and the agriculture of the Southern United States.
The poet uses the word “crisscross” here, suggesting the extensive reach of this crop and the interconnectedness of it with those who were forced to labor over its cultivation.
The poet goes on to speak about the exhaustion and deep longing experienced by the laborers. They were “Dead-tired” with a fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness and encompasses spiritual weariness.
The poet adds to these images the depiction of “leather strops.” This could allude to the tools of labor or the instruments of punishment and oppression.
Stanza Two
Sugar cane reach up to God
(….)
And all my days are dying
In the second stanza, the speaker begins by discussing sugar cane. Here, she’s connecting the crop to God, describing it reaching up to God. It’s used as a metaphor for human aspiration and the hope of a better life. It could also represent the laborers’ spiritual pleas for divine intervention on their behalf.
In order to better speak about human suffering, one of the key elements of this poem, the speaker describes “every baby crying” while the sugar cane is reaching to God. Here, readers should note the consequences of the hardships faced by the laborers extending to the most innocent members of society.
There is a first person pronoun, “my” in the next two lines. Here, the poet brings the speaker’s direct experiences into the poem. They describe a blanket that is used to represent a covering of shame that envelops their existence. It’s “Night” in this line in order to suggest that it’s here that the darker aspects of night are experienced.
Finally, the poem concludes with the line “And all my days are dying.” This dark finale to the poem features a profound sense of despair. It is also meant to remind readers of the temporary nature of life. It captures a sense of life ebbing away under the weight of all the burdens the speaker and those around them have to contend with.
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