Born in 1956, Forrest Hamer is an African-American author, poet, professor and psychologist. The author teaches at the University of California, Berkeley. Hamer, by writing several books , has put the education he received from both Yale and Berkeley to good use. Also, Hamer has several awards to his name and has been a finalist in many other literary awards . Further, his body of works has appeared in many journals and publications. He is well respected by his peers and is recognized among the greats of American poetry.
The poem, ‘Lesson’ is narrated by a little boy and is about a journey from Fort Hood, Texas to North Carolina. In the poem , a military man (the boy’s father) moves his family to a new location before being deployed overseas. The poem explores such themes as racism, a boy’s relationship with his father, and the unsettled nature of military families. While the poem is set in the early 1960s, some of its themes seem relevant to date. This essay seeks to analyze the poem line-by-line and highlight the devices used.
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Line 1: It was 1963 or 4, summer
The poem is set at a time when being black was considered a significant disadvantage. The imagery used in the poem makes complete sense when the factor of the y ear the poem is set in is considered . For instance, the poem was written in the 1960’s during the height of the civil rights movement. Thus, the period is alluded to and well presented in the rest of the poem .
Line 2: And my father was driving our family
The family is probably middle class and beginning a long journey ahead.
Line 3: From Fort Hood to North Carolina in our 56 Buick
The starting point and the destination of the journey are outlined . As a result, a comparison can be made between the distance that has to be travelled and the size of the shift to be made . This line indicates that there is a long journey ahead and a huge adjustment has to be made by the family. The narrator also seeks to highlight the means of travel. The journey was made using a Buick.
Line 4: We’d been hearing about Klan attacks
The theme of racism is defined in this line. The heartland of Ku Klux Klan was the south, and most racial attacks were perpetrated there. It is quite a paradox that despite serving in the military, the narrator’s father is unable to offer his family any protection from the nationalist, white - supremacist group.
Line 5: And we knew Mississippi to be more dangerous than usual
The fact that Mississippi was the epicentre of racist attacks is well documented in this line. Using this line, the poet captures the risks that lie ahead especially for a travelling black family and justifies their fears.
Line 6: Dark lay hanging from the trees the way moss did
The metaphor in this line emphasizes the fear that the family must have been experiencing as they travelled at night in the Deep South. The imagery thus points towards the actual state of their journey as they travelled across state lines.
Line 7: And when it moaned light against the windows
Personification is used in which case light assumes a human characteristic as it confronts the darkness that exists . This perhaps captures the hope in the narrator’s heart.
Line 8: That night my father pulled off the road to sleep
This line emphasizes on the fact that the journey was gruelling . It also indicates that the family must have been exhausted, and decided to rest a midst all the anxiety and fear.
Line 9: Noises, That usually woke me from rest afraid of monsters
Here, imagery is used to highlight the fear that the narrator was experiencing at the time. This shows that he has some understanding of the time as well as his surroundings. Perhaps this is the real origin of his fears.
Line 10: Kept my father awake that night, too
The narrator’s father seems to be sharing his fears too. This reiterates the fact that being a black man in the south at that time was not easy. Likewise, it shows that both father and son were aware of this. Further, that a man of the narrator’s stature would carry such weight speaks volumes about the nature of the period.
Line 11: And I lay in the quiet noticing him listen
This line emphasizes the apprehension of both father and son to the undesirable environment they find themselves in. The narrator is aware of his father’s fears, which are also similar to his fears.
Line 12: learning that he might not be able always to protect us
In this line, it is quite ironical that a seemingly capable and able bodied man might not be able to protect his family. The boy also knows it and is quite resigned to that fate.
Line 13: From everything and the creatures besides
The narrator is aware that the dangers they are facing are real, physical and also mental. It is also clear to him that there are no guarantees that they will be safe. In this line, the boy is trying to cope with that reality.
Line 14: Perhaps not even from the fury suddenly loud
This line highlights the nature of the ongoing conflict. The magnitude of the situation seems to be escalating, and the narrator is wary of the fact that there might not be enough protection against this.
Line 15: through my body about his trip from Texas
Foreshadowing is well deployed in this line with regard to the father’s impending departure and the child’s apparent displeasure at the fact that he was being moved again. This is because he would not get a chance to settle down with his father and family in this new place because his father would leave soon after the move.
Line 16: To settle us home before he would go away
The child is saddened by his dad’s impending deployment. He knows that the time spent with his father is limited.
Line 17: To a place, no place in the world he named Viet Nam
In this line, why the boy is losing his father to an unknown corner of the world called ‘Viet Nam’ is a mystery to him and a sad one at that.
Line 18: A boy needs a father with him
A blunt statement is made by the narrator who loves his father. As a result, the reader can see the origin of his fears – the prospect of losing his father.
Line 19: I kept thinking, fixed against noise from the dark
The poem ends with the same imagery of darkness that has served as a metaphor for fear in the poem. Also, the ongoing conflict is alluded to in this line.
Interpretation and Reflection
The poem has a very sombre tone, and the tragedy of racism is well captured . Also, the plight of military families and what they endure for the sake of the nation’s service is well explored . There is also a touching theme of a boy who adores his father despite the difficulties they have had to endure as a family because of his career. Due to this poem, I have gained a thorough understanding of what African-Americans had to face during the 1960’s. Likewise, I have obtained valuable insight into the lives that these families led during that particular period.
References
Library of Congress (n.d.). “ Lesson” by Forrest Hamer. Poetry 180: A Poem a Day for American High Schools, Hosted by Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate, 2001-2003. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/059.html
