Robert Hayden is a renowned poet whose work majorly dwells on the issue of the African Americans adjusting to the life in transit from Africa to America and the institution of slavery. A study of his poetry reveals that the Hayden was well versed with the experiences of his subjects by indulging in deep research of the history and experiences of the Africans. In this light, he is credited with the recovery of what had been lost of the many experiences of the Americans of African origin. In the poem titled "Middle Passage," for example, he offers a vivid picture of the process of bringing the slaves from Africa to America in sailing ships. It is revealed that the journey was unpleasant, to say the least, with suffering and loss of lives is the order of the day. The opening line of the poem informs of flashing sails that are likened to weapons. The idea of weapons at war highlights the chaotic nature of the transfer of slaves. The poem further envisions the sharks trailing the vessels to follow the moans of those dying from a fever. There is also the description of suicidal Africans who either starved themselves to death or leapt from the vessels to be eaten by sharks instead of submitting to the slavers' conditions. In another poem titled "Those Winter Sundays," the poet makes a note of the many unrewarded efforts of the black people. The African man is described with cracked aching hands making a fire to warm the family (line 3-5). The fact that he is not even thanked for the fire reveals the unfeeling nature of the society to the African of American origin. Hayden also makes note of the music that the African Americans composed in their bid to seek identification in "Homage to the Empress of the Blue Lyrics." The blues singer is adorned in fine costume and a smile that Hayden highlights as a reminder of a better future for the African Americans.
The modern readers have great expectations that the traditional novels, as well as the extended nonfictional texts, should demonstrate a deep and subtle organization. The graphic novel titled Maus by Art Spiegelman is one of the masterpieces that present this ideal. The author incorporates words and illustrations to communicate the story to the readers bringing out the effectiveness of his choice of media. To begin with, the novel has been seen to cut across genres. From one lens, Maus has been taken as a work of fiction while at another angle it is conceived as a work of fiction. This affirms that indeed the writer had to be artful and complex disregarding whether the work is fictional or not. On the other hand, the idea of telling a story by use of pictures to accompany words is a deeply involving undertaking. By the writer taking the role of the illustrator as well as the writer, there is an indication that he goes beyond the mere use of words to express his idea. The use of color in the illustration, or lack thereof, is another demonstration of the subtle involvement of the writer. More so, the use of animal character to represent the various groups of people involved in the story has far-reaching implications whereby the reader is expected to make calculated interpretations to digest the novel appropriately. The representation of the Germans as the cats is deeply symbolic, and it affirms that Spiegelman is successful in his endeavor. The Jews, on the other hand, are represented as mice which informs a keen reader of their vulnerability to the wrath of the cats. This arrangement is a demonstration that the writers will at times go beyond the obvious when telling their story to evoke a deep understanding of the underlying issues.
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References
Hayden, R. (2018). Homage to the empress of the blues. Genius Media Group Inc. Retrieved from https://genius.com/
Hayden, R. (1985). Those Winter Sundays. In F. Graysher (ed.). Collected poems of Robert Hayden. Liveright Publishing Corporation.
Hayden, R. (1966). Middle passage. Collected poems. Liveright Publishing Corporation.
Spiegelman, A. (1986). Maus. Graphic Novel.
