ester+popel+alisyn+wright

By Alisyn Wright Esther Popel lived from 1896 to 1958. She was a poet in the Harlem Renaissance. She was born in Harrisburn Pennsylvania. She graduated from Dickenson Collage. ("Esther") She was the first African American women to graduate from that school ("O'Brien"). After she graduated she taught at two junior high schools. She was fluent in four languages and taught two of them. She married William A. Shaw, They had a daughter and her name is Patricia Shaw Iversen ("Esther"). Esther Popel published her first book in 1934. It was called Forest Pool. This book was poetry about mostly nature. Later she began writing more poetry that had to do with black injustice. She wrote about the central paradox of the American History: the contradiction between American ideals of equality and freedom and realities of black experiences. Her poems were about racial injustice ("O'Brien"). Her style of poetry was listed as lyrical, religious, and political ("Esther"). __**Poetry Analysis**__ Flag Salute //"I pledge allegiance to the flag"—// "They dragged him naked "Through the muddy streets, "A feeble-minded black boy! "And the charge? Supposed assault "Upon an aged woman! //""Of the United States of America"—// "One mile they dragged him "Like a sack of meal, "A rope around his neck, "A bloody ear "Left dangling by the patriotic hand "Of Nordic youth! (A boy of seventeen!) //""And to the Republic for which it stands"—// "And then they hanged his body to a tree, "Below the window of the county judge "Whose pleadings for that battered human flesh "Were stifled by the brutish, raucous howls "Of men, and boys, and women with their babes, "Brought out to see the bloody spectacle "Of murder in the style of '33! " (Three thousand strong, they were!) //"One Nation, Indivisible"—// To make the tale complete They built a fire— What matters that the stuff they burned Was flesh—and bone—and hair— And reeking gasoline! //"With Liberty—and Justice"—// They cut the rope in bits And passed them out, For souvenirs, among the men and boys! The teeth no doubt, on golden chains Will hang About the favored necks of sweethearts, wives, And daughters, mothers, sisters, babies, too! //"For ALL!"// __**Analysis**__   This poem is about racial injustice. It talks about how horribly the boy was treated. The poem says "they dragged him naked through the muddy streets." This shows how wrongly the African American boy was being treated. Popel also compares the flag salute to the injustice of America. She says "and to the republic for which it stands-and then they hanged his body to a tree" This passage shows how America stands for freedom and libery but that African American's were not treated that way. This poem relates to the themes of the Harlem Renaissance. Common themes of the Harlem Renaissance were the racial injustice of life. This poem talks about how a boy is being mistreated because he is black. "one mile they dragged him like a sach of meal". This passage shows how they treated him unfairly. The Harlem Renaissance was all about African American's right. This poem demonstrates how hard it was for them because even though they deserved those rights, they still weren't given them. __**Works Cited Page**__ "Esther Popel at Old Poetry." //Oldpoetry - Classical Poetry Discussion//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. [].
 * __Esther Popel__**

O'Brien, Sharon. "First Known Female Black Graduate Wrote Powerful Poems, Illuminated Social Injustices." //Straigh Talk//. Sharon O’Brien, 2 Jan. 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. [].

Popel, Esther. "Flag Salute by Esther Popel at Old Poetry." //Oldpoetry - Classical Poetry Discussion//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. [].