English Blog # 7

As we have discussed in class slavery was a big issue in America. There were many attempts to inform the American people about the issue. Such an example, would be Frances E.W. Harper. Harper's work was promoted by William LLoyd Garrison, the editor of the abolitionist newspaper the Liberator. Her work was popular in the year 1854.

In order for an author to relate to a reader they must use certain tools. In this case Harper uses images in her poem  entitled The Slave Mother to "create vivid images appealing directly to the senses" ( Writing about Literature 83).  One example is when Harper says, "She is a mother,pale, with fear, Her boy clings to her side." Through her imagery readers can in vision a boy and her mother terrified of whatever danger they're encountering. Then Harper says, "He is not hers, although she bore For him a mother's pains; He is not hers, although her blood Is coursing through his veins!" Harper through imagery is describing the pain that both the mother and son are feeling because of their separation. Then Harper says, "He is not hers, for cruel hands May rudely tear apart" I assumed that Harper is describing the master of the slave is taking her child away. The mother is angry with her master for taking the only joy of her life. Finally, Harper says, "She is a mother and her heart is breaking in despair." Having a child should be a happy time instead for this slave the mother is feeling everything but happy.

 During this time a slave child was taken away from his mother. A slave child being seperated from his mother is dehumanizing to both the mother and the child. Harper uses imagery to invoke emotions from her readers. A reader should feel for the mother and the child who are losing the most important relationship in a person's life. Through her poem Harper creates the horror that a slave mother faces when her master takes her child. She feels anger towards the "cruel hands" that are separating the two. The fear both the child and mother have of losing one another. And finally the "breaking heart" of the mother. Even though the mother in the poem had this child she legally had no rights to parent him or even be apart of his life. Harper wanted to inform her readers about the issue so that in return, readers  would fight against slavery rather than participate. Through this poem it is the hope of Harper that this cruelty, and unfair treatment of African Americans would come to an end.