Countee Cullen (1903-1946) - Incident,1925

How I see the poem, "Incident". Is it about racism??

 

 

                                                                Exploration of the Text

 

 

        Poem's "Incident" by Countee Cullen is very deep and meaningful to me because its bring the theme of racism. As we all know, racism is a disease that occurred in our society. The facts that people talks about it lightly and heartlessly is really disturbing and serious. It degrading other human beings by skin color or something uncommon to society. Why we always being judgemental and stereotypical when describing people that are tiny slightly different than the rest. I really don't get that at all. I must admitted that I sometimes can be quite stereotypical but not at the stages that can be considered as racist.

 

          When you read, you can tell the nature of interaction between the boys is likes there's boundaries amongst them due to the tiny differences  like their skin colors. The boy is happy at the beginning  of the poem in the most childish and innocent kind of way.  This showed in the poem by using the word like in the line 2 in the first stanza (Heart-filled, head-filled with glee). However, as you read the poem to the next stanza, you can sensed the different toned in the most condescending speeches. This showed in the use of word "Nigger", which can be such insulting nickname to certain people and can be related to racism. "Nigger" was such strong and sensitive word because it can be defined as "black slave".

 

              But, why does the speaker remember nothing more than the incident, even though he stayed in Baltimore from " May until December "? I assumed that the power and pain of his memories overshadowed the boy's other memories. In my perspective, maybe due to his past experiences. Although you can't sensed any emotion throughout this poem but you can tell it about racism and been looked through innocent child's point of view. Maybe because the treatment that the boy get can be related to racism abused due to skin color. I assumed the other American boy that had called the other boy "Nigger" is the good example of what Baltimore community is all about. I heard that the Baltimore areas full with "white American" communities.

            I don't really have any experience due to the topic of racism, but I do know how it feel when people put you in different categories when God created us the same and equally. I do know how it's feel when people looked at you like you some kind of freak or something and called you with terrible, offensive and sensitive nicknames. It is really hurtful but trust me sticks and stones may break your bones but words makes you stronger. Keep that in mind.

          In term of form of this poem, the structure of piece of writing rather than the ideas it expresses event its described and vice versa. Rhyme in this poem is easy and almost like the story telling kind of feeling. The sound at the every lines at the ends of lines is in irregular patterns but still kept the simplicity of proses.

          In term of using the word "nigger" for me especially is very inappropriate and sensitive because we don't know what kind a life the person we called this horrible name been through. So, why make his or her life much miserable than it used to and who are we to judge. Mind our own business and in the name of humanity stop making any racism statement because its very insulting to any human kinds.