A swift, successive chain of things, That flash, kaleidoscope-like, now in, now out, Now straight, now eddying in wild rings, No order, neither law, compels their moves, But endless, constant, always swiftly roves.
Yes! The author captures the wildness of thought, its chaotic, hallucinogenic nature. The poem speaks to the thrill, beauty, and terrifying chaos of the experience of consciousness. Alliteration, imagery, and enjambment are poetic devices used to create a metaphor for the the poem's title and subject: Thought.
For Black History month, the Academy of American Poets of poets.org poem-a-day features works by notable Black poets.
Not all are household names, though, even among the literary inclined. I have a fairly decent grasp on modern and post-modern poets, but I've never heard of Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935).
It angers me that she hasn't been given more acknowledgement, not just by literary circles, but activists, too. Dunbar-Nelson was born in 1875 in New Orleans. She graduated from college, taught elementary school, and was an activist for civil rights and women's suffrage.
She was a Black woman and a published poet, journalist, playwright, and short story writer. Dunbar-Nelson contributed so much to a society that was likely not warmly receptive.
Her works include:
Violets and Other Tales (The Monthly Review, 1895)
The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1899).
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