Huck Finn Essay Example For Students

Huck Finn Essay You Cant Pray A Lie is a pivotal excerpt taken from Mark Twains classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Like Twains other works, this example of moral truth and consequence undermines the basic sense of human values. Set in the 1880s on a raft upon the Mississippi River, Huck is caught in a battle of personal conflicting views. It is through his interactions with Jim, a runaway black slave, that he faces the realization that being ultimately true to himself means that he cannot pray a lie. Jim had run away from his abusive father and enabling small town to find himself traveling down the Mississippi on a raft. His traveling partner was a black slave, Jim. Wondering why Jim was there, Huck discovers that Jim had run away from his slave owner, Ms. Watson. Jim had spoken about his harsh life as a slave, and resented talk of being sold down to Orleans for a big stack o money. Huck felt that Jims escape was wrong, but kept his promise of secrecy, like any good friend would. In lieu of his escape, Jim emphasized his feelings of becoming a free man. Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom (p. 238). Huck came to the realization that Jim was escaping for a far different reason than he, and began to see this niggers freedom as his own fault; he was an accomplice. Hucks conscience became plagued by the fact that Jim was escaping the custody of his rightful owner, and he was doing nothing to stop this. In Hucks eyes, Jim was essentially the property of poor old Ms. Watson, who didnt do anything less than teach Jim his manners and his books. Altogether, Huck felt that he was doing wrong by concealing this, and felt miserable to say the least. Jims anticipation for freedom grew higher as he expressed his future dreams and aspirations. Jim began saying things that niggers wouldnt normally dare say. Jim was speaking like a white man, not like someones property, a slave. This attitude began to lower Hucks vision of Jim, and his conscience grew even hotter. Huck had never been exposed to a slave who spoke this way. It was his inadequate education that told him this was wrong. Jim stopped the raft with intentions of surrendering Jim. At this point he heard Jim yell: Pooty soon Ill be a-shoutn for joy, en Ill say, its on accounts oHuck; Is a free man, en I couldnt ever ben free ef it hadn been for Huck; Huck done it. Jim wont ever forgit you, Huck; yous de bes fren Jims ever had; en yous de only fren ole Jims got now (p. 239).This was a turning point for Hucks emotions. The line between what was expected of him and what his emotions felt began to clash. Hearing Jim say this hit Huck right in the heart, and he began to view Jim n ot as a slave, but as a person, a friend. The race card was slowly loosing its importance to Huck. However, he had been conditioned to believe that the right thing to do was to turn Jim in. When it came time to confess though, Huck lied to spare Jims life. His emotions had over powered his duty to public policy. This shows signs of Hucks ability to think for himself, rather than being that of a follower. Nonetheless, Jim is later captured leaving Huck with the decision of what must be done. Huck felt that writing a letter to Ms. Watson would be the proper path to take. He overturns this notion however on account of how Ms. Watson would view Jim, and how the others would think Huck was a nigger helper. Thus, it would be equally shameful for both of them. By not doing so, he was ultimately protecting both of them. He thinks as long as he can hide it, it aint no disgrace (p. 242). Hucks conscience again is manipulated by what is seen to be right in the public eye. He knew that telling the truth would make him a good boy. Huck did have intentions of doing what was right in life, but knew in his own head that this wasnt necessarily the right moral answer. Indeed he could hide this information from the slave owners, but he couldnt hide it from God. People may be gullible, but God can see beyond petty lies and wrongdoings. Therefore, praying would not help to cure this situation because you simply cannot hide it: You cannot pray a lie! This understanding was probably the most important spiritual notion that Huck could have discovered. In theory, it set him free. Huck did eventually write a letter to Ms. Watson telling the whereabouts of Jim. This action made him feel that he was doing the right thing. However, he began to think about the experiences in which he shared with Jim. He remembered how grateful Jim was to him, and how Jim thought of him as his only friend in the world. They had watched out for one another during their escape journey, and had found companion ship within. The fact that they were of different colors was not important. Rather, a sense of humanity was present between the two. With this, Huck ripped up the letter and had no thoughts of reforming. All right then, Ill go to hell-and tore it up (P. 243). He decided he would even go as far as to steal Jim out of slavery, because he felt that it was his moral obligation, his duty. The outcome symbolizes a deep sense of decision and morality as decided by Huck, a free man. Even though he may have thought it was wrong of him, he did it anyway. His moral conscience guided him to do what he believed was right. In reality, Huck made a wise decision that went against the aristocratic customs of his time. He saw beyond the foundation of slavery. He saw wonderful qualities in Jim that he may have never seen in any white man before. Most of all, he found love, friendship, and emotion. Hucks decision ultimately enlightened him and brought happiness to him, even though he had to run away fo r what he believed. This was something that he could pray upon, because it was his own found truths that he fulfilled through his mission. .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe , .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .postImageUrl , .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe , .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:hover , .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:visited , .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:active { border:0!important; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:active , .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u70f29b21c7df276f08994464d4807abe:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Literal and metaphorical ties in Waiting for Godot EssayTwains narrative is a prime example of nineteenth century abolition in slavery. Hucks path is an example of the road that many took to bring African Americans out of slavery as well. This is a revolution that has progressed extensively since Twains time, but continues to be a problem in most all societies today. What is important is for people to take a deep look at interactions with others and what we can do to make our world a better place. It all begins with our sense of personal rights and wrongs. For somebody to say that it is impossible for everybody to come together and love each other is a blatant lie. Seen as though you cant pray a lie, you obviously cant pray upon this. Therefore, we must be able to love one another! Words/ Pages : 1,276 / 24

RankBrain Googles New Content Ranking Algorithm

In the early days of search engine optimization (SEO), website owners focused on keywords and phrases specific to key search engine queries. However, as Google continues to improve its algorithms to understand context and quality, focusing only on keywords is starting to decrease rather than increase website rankings. Recognized as a leading artificial intelligence (AI) technology company, Google recently announced a new ranking algorithm called RankBrain, which uses AI to return more precise results to its users. Out with Old SEO The common way website owners target search engine queries is to find related keywords and phrases used by potential customers. For instance, if your company sells widgets, a search engine user could search using the phrases â€Å"red widgets,† â€Å"widgets,† or even â€Å"red widgets on sale this month.† The longer phrase is referred to as a long-tail phrase. These long-tail phrases are less commonly requested, but a few thousand searches a month could bring in a few hundred leads. Using a list of several keyword phrases, a site owner could create articles and content that focused on these phrases. Writers were required to include them in certain areas of the content such as the first paragraph, title and subheaders. The idea was that Google gave more authority to sites that used specific keywords in certain sections of content. But constant focus on keyword phrases instead of on users’ interests caused an issue called keyword stuffing. Website developers were so focused on keyword phrases that their content was no longer readable. This became a huge issue with early SEO efforts and so Google was forced to create algorithms that detected keyword stuffing and devalued it. In time, Google fine-tuned its algorithms and released a large update named Panda. Panda helps Google’s algorithms find low-quality content and lower that site’s visibility. Panda made history for SEO, because site owners could no longer overlook quality and were forced to improve their content with emphasis placed on reader value. The Introduction of RankBrain Although Panda dramatically improved results for search queries, Google still had issues providing results for obscure requests. The company’s Hummingbird release was an attempt to better understand voice commands and is thought to be a catalyst for RankBrain. RankBrain attempts to better understand obscure queries and return results based on the context and readability of a website article, landing page or blog post. For instance, take the term â€Å"orange.† A user typing the word into Google could mean the color, the fruit or possibly a company or band. RankBrain attempts to understand what the user really wants whether it’s the fruit, the color or something else. The signals Google uses to understand user intention aren’t known. Google is very secretive about its algorithm’s quality signals, but the company continues to tell website owners to focus on users and not on bots. Still, it’s difficult for webmasters to let go of old SEO efforts that originally brought them high-volume traffic. RankBrain is currently being used for the 15% of search queries that have never before been requested. Since these queries aren’t used frequently, Google’s regular algorithms aren’t able to identify user intent or relevant results. RankBrain is therefore an attempt to remedy this problem and deliver optimized search results for these original requests. What Webmasters Should Know for On-Page SEO Google often tests its algorithm changes in the wild. If results are satisfactory, the company releases the algorithm change to affect all search engine results. For this reason, site owners should prepare for a major shift in search engine results with regard to long-tail phrases rarely used. The following are some rules to incorporate into your SEO strategy to avoid any unnecessary hits to your search engine rankings. Avoid Keyword Stuffing The first rule is to tailor your content for your readers. Having keyword phrases in mind while writing doesn’t hurt, but you shouldn’t focus solely on keywords. This leads to keyword stuffing and can trigger Google’s low-quality filters. Keyword density is a common SEO myth. Google has never endorsed a specific keyword density rule and the company has always said to focus on the user experience. When you only focus on keyword density, your content will likely suffer. The answer is to write content naturally and from an authoritative perspective. The writer should ideally be a subject matter expert making it easier to create unique, useful, quality content that generates backlinks and increases search engine rankings. Don’t Auto-Translate Content Having content in multiple languages can help drive traffic to your site from different countries. However, one common mistake is to use Google Translate or another online translator to convert content from one language to another. This often ends up backfiring when the translation is off and the content consequently appears butchered. For instance, if your content is in English and you want to target Spanish speakers, hire an English to Spanish translator to interpret the content for you, rather than attempt to use an unpredictable online translator. Google’s algorithms have gotten much better at detecting auto-translated content. Now when auto-translated content is detected, a filter is put on the site. In really bad translations, it can sometimes trigger manual review. When a Google reviewer determines that content is auto-translated, a site can either be completely removed from the index or artificially pushed down in the search engine results. Best Practices Google actively monitors site engagement; therefore, you should mainly focus on engaging your users to avoid poor search visibility. If you target phrases unrelated to your content on the page, your users are likely to bounce quickly once they see that the content is irrelevant. Google algorithms catch these behavior patterns and reduce the site’s visibility accordingly. With RankBrain, Google should be able to identify unrelated site content and phrases even easier. Site owners with good content shouldn’t be worried as long as you regularly reevaluate all site pages for quality and engagement. If content isn’t authoritative and well-written, it should be rewritten or removed. If you need help developing original quality content for your site look to the expert writers at Constant Content.

Pros and Cons of Compulsory Voting

Pros and Cons of Compulsory Voting Over 20 countries have some form of compulsory voting which requires citizens to register to vote and to go to their polling place or vote on election day. With secret ballots, its not really possible to prove who has or has not voted, so this process could be more accurately called compulsory turnout because voters are required to show up at their polling place on election day. Facts About Compulsory Voting One of the most well-known compulsory voting systems is in Australia. All Australian citizens over the age of 18 (except those of unsound mind or those convicted of serious crimes) must be registered to vote and show up at their polling place on election day. Australians who do not show up are subject to fines, although those who were ill or otherwise incapable of voting on election day can have their fines waived. Compulsory voting in Australia was adopted in the state of Queensland in 1915 and subsequently adopted nationwide in 1924. With Australias compulsory voting system comes additional flexibility for the voter. Elections are held on Saturdays, absent voters can vote in any state polling place, and voters in remote areas can vote before an election at pre-poll voting centers or via mail. Voter turnout of those registered to vote in Australia was as low as 47 percent prior to the 1924 compulsory voting law. In the decades since 1924, voter turnout has hovered around 94 to 96 percent. In 1924, Australian officials felt that compulsory voting would eliminate voter apathy. However, compulsory voting now has its detractors. The Australian Electoral Commission provides some arguments in favor and against compulsory voting. Arguments in Favor Voting is a civic duty comparable to other duties citizens perform (e.g. taxation, compulsory education, or jury duty).Parliament reflects more accurately the will of the electorate.Governments must consider the total electorate in policy formulation and management.Candidates can concentrate their campaigning energies on issues, rather than encouraging voters to attend the poll.The voter isnt actually compelled to vote for anyone because voting is by secret ballot. Arguments Used Against Compulsory Voting Some suggest that it is undemocratic to force people to vote and is an infringement of liberty.The ignorant and those with little interest in politics are forced to the polls.It may increase the number of donkey votes (votes for a random candidate by people who feel that they are required to vote by law).It may increase the number of informal votes (ballot papers which are not marked according to the rules for voting).Resources must be allocated to determine whether those who failed to vote have valid and sufficient reasons. Source Compulsory Voting. Australian Electoral Commission, May 18, 2011.

Learn About the Associative Property in Math

Learn About the Associative Property in Math According to the associative property, the addition or multiplication of a set of numbers is the same regardless of how the numbers are grouped. The associative property will involve 3 or more numbers. The parenthesis indicates the terms that are considered one unit. The groupings (Associative Property) are within the parenthesis. Hence, the numbers are associated together. In multiplication, the product is always the same regardless of their grouping. The Associative Property is pretty basic to computational strategies. Remember, the groupings in the brackets are always done first, this is part of the order of operations. Addition Example of the Associative Property When we change the groupings of addends, the sum does not change:(2 5) 4 11 or 2 (5 4) 11(9 3) 4 16 or 9 (3 4) 16Just remember that when the grouping of addends changes, the sum remains the same. Multiplication Example of the Associative Property When we change the groupings of factors, the product does not change:(3 x 2) x 4 24 or 3 x (2 x 4) 24.Just remember that when the grouping of factors changes, the product remains the same. Think Grouping! Changing the grouping of addends does not change the sum, changing the groupings of factors, does not change the product. Simply put, regardless of whether you show 3 x 4 or 4 x 3, the final result is the same. In addition, 4 3 or 3 4, you know that the outcome is the same, the answer remains the same. However, this is NOT the case in subtraction or division so when you think of the associative property, remember that the final result or answer remains the same or its not the associative property. The understanding of the concept of associative property is much more important that the actual term associative property. Titles often confuse students and youll discover that youll ask what the associative property is, only to be returned with a blank look. However, if you say to a child something like If I change the numbers in my addition sentence, does it matter? In other words, can I say 5 3 and 3 5, will the child that understands say yes because its the same? When you ask if you can do this with subtraction, theyll laugh or tell you that you cant do that. So in essence, a child knows about the associative property which is really all that matters even though you may stump them when you ask for a definition of the associative property. Do I care that the definition escapes them? Not at all, if they indeed know the concept. Lets not trip our students up with labels and definitions when concept understanding is the key ingredient in math.

Annotated Bibliography for Africa's Hunger Essay

Annotated Bibliography for Africa's Hunger - Essay Example This has made it impossible for some African countries because they lack personnel to work in industries for production of food. For this reason, the rate of poverty still goes high as people do not earn an income. HIV/AIDS has resulted further to deaths resulting in desperation amongst some Africans to the extent that they are discouraged to work and produce food. In the end, they die of hunger. The contents of this newspaper article give information on how this situation has become life threatening in Africa. Hunger in Africa: Hearing before the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, Second Session, March 1, 1984. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1984. Print. This book was written following a hearing that had been held in 1984, on the basis of African affairs; inclusive of the hunger problem that had started become a problem in the continent. They spoke of the unfair trade markets and how it affected the peopleâ €™s trading of goods across continents Unfair trade markets has also contributed to hunger in one way or another, the exportation of food crops has become very lucrative in Africa, but the problem arises because the crops being exported are being underpaid and the freight charges are high. This still hinders the growth of GDP. It contributes to hunger as it increases the rate of hunger in the population due to poverty. Pantaleo, C. and S. Jaspars. Cash Transfer Programming in Emergencies, Oxfam Skills and Practice series, Oxford: Oxfam. (2005). Print. C. Pantaleo has written this book on how the aids are distributed and how effectively that should be done. He speaks of Africa’s dependency on some of his funding. Dependence on donor funding has made more people in Africa not work for their food. They do not look for sustainable measures to end poverty and food insecurity in their regions. The wait for donor funding and food aids from the various donors for their survival. He mentions that this is what is pulling down Africa in terms of being funded throughout and not working on sustainable means of survival. Karapinar, Baris and Christian Haberli. Food Crises and the WTO: World Trade Forum. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2010. Print. B. Karapinar wrote a book that capitalized on issues to do with the food crises in Africa. He mentioned the dire effects of the hunger in the continent. He gave a brief explanation on what this crisis entails and its relations with the WTO. The results of hunger in some of these regions are death due to starvation, malnutrition in children and adults due to lack of nutritious foods; there is a loss of population that is brought about by the deaths that occur due to hunger, the economy is crippled even more because of poverty. Hunger also makes people to migrate a lot as they evade the death due to hunger. There is loss of biodiversity and habitat disturbance that come about due to cutting down of trees by people to grow fo od crops. The latter also brings about human wildlife conflict as a result of deforestation too. People end up encroaching forested areas as they search for fertile lands to grow their foods. Child mortality due to hunger also increases. Diseases caused by hunger have become rampant due to the condition, for example, children get malnourished and eventually die. For example, in East Africa, Kenya, there have been instances when people died of hunger in Turkana. Lavy,

Frozen Souls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Frozen Souls - Essay Example This is not to say that I had no apprehensions about the move, just that any the upside was much greater than the alternative. After all, this was America, an entire nation composed of immigrants that had once made the same journey, both metaphorically and physically. On the flight I remember the airline playing the Arnold Schwarzenegger film True Lies. At the time Schwarzenegger, himself an immigrant, was the governor of California. For a moment I allowed myself to entertain similar notions of grandeur; I too could do great things one day. When I reflect back on my perceptions before arriving in the United States I recognize my idealism. It is not that I am a gullible person; I just bought into the narrative of American, and more specifically Californian, wealth and prosperity. It was this feeling of excitement and expectation that I felt as the plane landed and I looked onto the world that is now my home. The plane landed on a grey and rainy day, but I didn’t notice, instead expecting the country to soon embrace me. For the first time I would not be held back by an inefficient government or a lack of opportunity. After exiting the plane I walked to retrieve my bags. There were many beautiful people and people of varying ethnicities all moving rapidly about. I retrieved my bags and walked towards the LAX gates and waited around for a cab to the apartment complex I had set up. I was so filled with excitement and anxiety that I could not sleep that night and instead contemplated my upcoming weeks, months, years. I spent my first week with such anxiety-filled excitement and wonder that I never gave myself the chance to notice my loneliness. After exploring all day I would come home and pass out reading a book or watching the Los Angeles Lakers. This week, however, soon turned into a month and then two and three. Instead of finding the joy and prosperity I figured awaited me, I found nothing but society’s self-interest. Every day I woke up to a Calif ornia sun that stood in stark juxtaposition to the cold and lonely conditions of my current existence. I attended school during the day and would many times have my afternoons free. Not knowing anyone I would walk on the beach or through Downtown areas, hoping I would meet someone and California would finally make sense and my life would be warm and wonderful. I would walk past the sorts of beautiful people I once watched on television, all of them on their cell phones, with their perfectly coiffured hair and stylish clothing. For a period, I continued to tell myself that I merely needed to penetrate this wall of their existence and they the world would open to me; that while I had immigrated to the country, I had just not entered the true California yet. As a child in my home country I was raised in a conservative Catholic family. Towards the end of my adolescence I came to reject this family as overly constricting and naive about the true world out there. In my solitude and loneli ness for the first time I could appreciate the true love and warmth they supplied. Such instances of love and warmth are rare. I made a few acquaintances during these early days, but no one I would consider a friend. After math class I would visit a coffee shop adjacent to the college and read and watch people. Rarely did I talk to anyone and rarely did anyone talk to me. One day, however, a girl named Vanessa was forced to share my table as the

Black Poems Essay Example for Free

Black Poems Essay In the past during apartheid being black meant you lost out in many privileges it also showed how black people where oppressed. In this poem we see that Mbongeni Khumalo uses the word black in connection to all the bad things. He highlights that there is this darkness associated with the colour black and that in the 1960’s when someone called you a black person it showed nothing good and that no one should be proud of being black. He also looks at all the words that start with â€Å"black† and if one looks deep into them then we see that there’s a deeper meaning to that particular word and that it has got something to do with wrong doing or bad happenings. The first line of the poem reads â€Å"you don’t need a BLACK-BELT to write blackpoems†, if one looks at this line and critique it then we see that he says that one doesn’t need a black belt to write black poem and the way it is written from the small letter at the beginning of the sentence to the to the black belt in a big font and black poems as one word this shows that as a black person no one really paid attention to the diction of the poem. â€Å"B/LACK† when one looks at this word and the way it has been written then you can interpret it as be lack, as if he’s trying to point out that when you are black you lack in something. He further one uses the word â€Å"prac-teasing† and instead of writing practising he uses the teasing showing that he was isolated for mocking black art but in his own right one can argue that he was not mocking it but just highlighting the points that were true and that there was a time when anything that was done by a black person was just done and not taken seriously, a black person could only go so far with their art. â€Å"Trampling my so(u)l/e/† the way he has chosen to break down the word soul in a way that one can say he is trampling the word himself and he also adds an â€Å"e† at the end which shows that he can do anything to this poem since it is a black poem. â€Å"Served sausages made from minced pork and call(ed) it BLACK PUDDING† one can say that it was called black pudding because in the black culture the only time that the families ever ate pudding which consisted of custard and fruit was during Christmas otherwise black people always feasted with meat he could also have been referring to himself as the black sheep because he did not eat meat and in that case being black and not eating meat meant that you were a different type of black person and therefore you were out casted and you were a black sheep. â€Å"I suffered a BLACK DEATH at the hands of a BLACK GUARD†, what the writer brings out in this line is how black people still killed each other regardless of the fact that they were all oppressed by the same people for the same reason. The guards were also said to be puppies for the oppressors so that the hit on them could be lighter and that they could spare them their lives. So it shows that black people were also turned against each other and killed each other just so that they can hold their own end. The language that he has chosen to use is simple but the was in which he has broken down his words and placed them in way that one could clearly see the point he is trying to make about black poems. As one carries on to read this poem you could say that this is not a black poem but a poem about black people. He uses a playful tone but at the same time the way he stresses some words to show his point and the double meanings behind them. He also used the words to show what was happening in that time to black people trying to pass on the torch of awareness so that people could stop being naive and actually know how things were done in that time. He attracts the reader by his title which is â€Å"BLAK POWEMS† which shows the way he wrote it as if he were a actually saying it in a Bantu accent, so he chose to write it the way he would say it because no one really paid close attention to the diction and the style of the way black poets wrote their poems because it always ended up being black people reading each others poems. The way this poem has been written it shows well that it is protest poem in such a sense as when one looks at the diction used in this poem and the style of writing that the poet has chosen to use. He plays with associations surrounding blackness to put his point across of how blackness is associated with bas things and in this case particularly back in the 1960’s during times of black oppression and apartheid. The tone of this poem is in a playful but honest manner, not harsh but it keeps one intrigued that there could be so many things associated with the colour black that represent a darker side of life and the poet does a good job of bringing them out and also highlighting them. This poem makes the reader see the problems that the past could add on to a simple phrase or word. The word black in this poem has been separated and put on a spectrum whereby we can all see the negatives that could and that are surrounding this one word in particular. The poet has also made us think of how history played out and he did this not by writing that in the 1960’s this is what happened but he used words that show or highlight the main events of the 60’s.