I've decided to format this analysis a bit differently. It was a tough to get my thoughts down in paragraph form this time, so I apologize if it seems a bit disjointed. Enjoy!
Link: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/detail/50788 Quick Summary of the Poem: The statement that Hayes’ “Stick Elegy”, published in Nature magazine’s March 2008 issue, is a simple requiem for a lost one is an understatement! The setting of the poem is under Yellow Bridge, where a vigil is being held for a young man named Stick (as evident by the fact that the title of the poem is “Stick Elegy”—a lamentation of Stick’s life/experiences). The poem is told from the perspective of a basketball player; it is assumed that Stick is a fellow teammate. For the past three seasons, MVPs of the winning State Championship basketball team have jumped off the Yellow Bridge into the deep water as a form of celebration. However, Stick’s jubilee is cut short when he breaks his ankle after jumping off the bridge. Although he survives the ordeal, Stick’s life is plagued by harsh calamities and tough luck. After his death (I presume, referencing the title), people still come to Yellow Bridge and honor Stick. Interpretations and Analyses: Overall: In line 1, Hayes observes that after many years, the “dead” are still singing Turn the lights down low, which I have found may reference the 18th line in Raymond Richard Patterson’s poem “The Poet and His People”, published in Negro Digest’s 1967 issue after the death of Langston Hughes**. From what I can tell, the “dead refused burial” (line 12), and overall references to what the “dead” are doing at Yellow Bridge may imply that Stick’s life has had a lasting impact on his community and the people around him, so much so that even those who are dead still mourn and protest the gratuitous misfortunes Stick experienced due to his injury. The resounding sympathy from Stick’s community may provide some insight as to Stick’s life prior to the incident. Maybe Stick had a lot to look forward to in life (he was a star basketball player, after all), or perhaps people simply viewed him as a victim of circumstance. Come to think of it, Stick’s bad luck, “Floods and fractured lightning” (line 11), are probably not meant to be interpreted literally; instead, these natural phenomena are most likely meant to illustrate different obstacles in his life/career (that were out of his control) that may have led to his ruin (perhaps the ankle healed improperly, etc.), as he may no longer have been able to play basketball/work due to the effects of his injury. The final line of the poem: In line 14, the speaker states that he “started hearing birds everywhere” after the “dead” started coming the bridge. I wonder if this could imply mourning doves, whose distinctive call may evoke a feeling of gloom or sorrow over the loss of a loved one… What do you guys think? Leave a comment below! Use of enjambment: Hayes’ use of incomplete syntax makes the poem flow like a casual conversation, as if the speaker and the reader are onlookers; the speaker and the reader are outside, reflecting upon the story of Stick and how it affected many people’s lives. In fact, the only complete syntax (end-stopped line) is the final line. Another rather interesting point I’d like the draw attention to is the word “Free”, located at the very beginning of the second stanza (line 8). Hayes may have chosen to separate the word free from the previous stanza (and the previous sentence) to signify the importance of this ceremonial jump off Yellow Bridge. The celebration of the basketball team’s MVP could imply freedom, in the sense that they had been awarded a major title that could benefit them in the future (it’d definitely pad their resumes, I’m sure.). This point may also allude to the importance of sports in elevating one’s status in the Black community; for a long time (and even now), one of the only methods of “escaping the projects” for many African American youths was to play a sport, or to produce music (rap, R&B, jazz, etc.). If one member of a community left, it brought the community a sense of hope that either a) the successful person with return and help them in the future, or b) that other people will follow in their footsteps. In a sense, the poem overall may represent the tragedy of Stick’s situation—if he is assumed to be an African American male, then the breaking of his ankle may represent the overall lack of progress for many African Americans. American society (in regards to racial and ethnic minorities) always seems to take one step towards progress, followed by two steps backwards, which creates a perpetual cycle of hope and anguish that continues to this day. The fires that fuel our hope for a better, brighter future are extinguished just as quickly as they are lit. Just some food for thought; tell me what you think down in the comments! **A large number of poets wrote elegies in memory of Langston Hughes, which were then published in Negro Digest. If you wish to read the poem “The Poet and His People”, written by Raymond P. Patterson, along with many other elegies for Langston Hughes, here is the link (Google books): https://books.google.com/books?id=EToDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=turn+the+lights+down+low+mourning&source=bl&ots=Q9dhCImMr2&sig=oN1iblTKPjbA-DGEEZ-3c7spjxk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiI_vu52_HRAhUIPCYKHT8lDcoQ6AEIJjAB#v=onepage&q=turn%20the%20lights%20down%20low%20mourning&f=false
3 Comments
Kelly
2/3/2017 06:57:00 am
Heyyyyy Ashley! I really like the poem you picked because it arises feelings of sadness and despair, but it also conveys a clear message to me: life is unfair. I would say that the main message is to have a backup plan, but like you said, it may have been hard for an African American who could no longer walk properly to hold a well-paying job. It is sad, the hole Stick was dug into. Also, do you know what year the speaker is talking from? It says the the poem was published in 2008, so I guess the speaker is from that time as well, but I feel like it should have been written in the period of the 1970s, though that is just me being weird. I also like how deep into your analysis you went and found other poems that Hayes alluded to--it really adds meaning to the poem. One thing I would like to mention, when I first read the title I thought it was "Sick Elegy" instead of "Stick Elegy." Do you think that the author did that on purpose, seeing as how Stick spiraled downhill after he broke his ankle?
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Ashley G.
2/3/2017 07:27:59 am
Hi Kelly,
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11/4/2022 07:30:51 am
I don't think it's a literal elegy. I don't think Stick is dead, just dead in life. The 2nd stanza says "the dead refused burial." I read that as his life was ruined but he's still alive and "numb, toothless, and changed," no longer the basketball hero with a future. Also, first line, the "dead were still singing" the Langston Hughes elegy at the bridge where "years before" Stick jumped. Since it's years later and the dead don't really sing, I read that as the speaker saying that he is haunted by the death of Stick's prospects and former self, before his future was destroyed.
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