Discussion of Blues-Inspired Poetry

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Blues-inspired poetry reflects the interaction between literary art and musical tradition that originates from the early 20^th century. Most researchers of this area, including Tracy (1981), state that blues-inspired poetry stems from the struggle and culture of African Americans. These people expressed their views and concerns through the music of blues, which quickly found a warm reception from the audience. Naturally, these aspects found their way into poetry, creating a unique style that combines the thematic elements of blues with the poetic tradition of literature. Blues poetry is stylistically similar to blues music in that it does not attempt to incorporate a variety of complex language forms and sophisticated rhymes. Instead, blues poetry is characterized by repetitive lines that emphasize the emotional burden of the author, as well as often simplified grammatic and lexical construction. Importantly, these attributes do not imply that blues poetry is simple or primitive by any means. On the contrary, these works are characterized by an extreme level of emotional depth, which is further multiplied by the realistic nature of the narration.

Blues poetry is a common feature of the first decades of the 20^th century and it is closely connected to the names of renowned authors of the time. More specifically, Tracy (1981) and other researchers highlight the contribution made by Langston Hughes and Sterling Brown who virtually defined the genre as it is. Nevertheless, blues poetry is not limited to their literary works, as a number of other authors contributed to the development of this style. Furthermore, blues poetry is found nowadays, as well, and the reason is that its themes are immortal. This genre addressed human struggle, pain, addiction, sexual relationships, and death, which are the topics that are not at all exclusive to the origins of blues poetry.

Having researched various works of the genre, I was particularly impressed by a piece that dates back to the 1920s. James Weldon Johnson (1927) created a poem that is titled Go Down, Death. As the name suggests, the piece thematically addresses the grief of a person over a beloved one. The recurring element of the poem goes like this:

“Weep not, weep not,

She is not dead;

She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.”

Johnson mourns the death of a woman, attempting to console himself by searching divine meaning in the tragedy. He tells a story of how God himself sent Death after sister Caroline who was “tired” and “weary”. Apparently, the woman had her share of struggle in life, and now Johnson implies that God has decide to alleviate her of the burden. This piece is filled with tragedy and bittersweet hopefulness, conveying strong feelings through rather simple language. It is a highly interesting and recommended piece of blues poetry that reflects the depth of the genre.

You ain’t gonna see it coming, no

No one’s gonna see it coming

It comes unannounced in day or at night

All you can do is just sit here real tight

He wants to your granny, yeah

He wants to take your neighbor

Don’t think that you’re too cunning

Don’t think that you’re too clever

I saw him once and it was scary

I saw him once, yes, it was scary

He got me mumbling like I never did

‘What’s your name?’, I asked

and he said, ‘COVID’

References

Johnson, J. W. (1927).Go down, Death. Web.

Tracy, S. C. (1981). To the tune of those weary blues: The influence of the blues tradition in Langston Hughes’s blues poems. MELUS, Autumn, 8(3), 73–98.

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Discussion of Blues-Inspired Poetry

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