Life

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1993

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Background

Historical Context

“Life” appears in Madgett’s 1993 published collection of poetry titled Remembrances of Spring: Collected Early Poems. Even though the collection was put together and printed in the 1990s, the exact date of the poem’s composition remains unknown. While we can speculate regarding the exact year Madgett wrote her poem, we can state with certainty that living through the Civil Rights Movement greatly impacted and inspired Madgett’s work. This historical movement spanned from the 1940s through the end of the 1960s and can be defined as “an organized effort by Black Americans to end racial discrimination and gain equal rights under the law” (History.com Editors. “Civil Rights Movement Timeline.” History, 2017). Over the course of the Civil Rights Movement, Madgett directly or indirectly experienced historic moments, such as the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, the murder of Emmett Till in 1955, the Freedom Rides in 1961, the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1963, the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Within this context, the lack of individual agency and the controlling force of the “very old man” (Line 4) could be representative of the oppression and discrimination felt by those living through the Civil Rights Movement as they fought against the segregation imposed upon them by external forces.

Literary Context

The Harlem Renaissance is a period of American Literature beginning around 1918 and ending approximately 1937. It is identified as “a blossoming of African American culture, particularly in the creative arts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history” (Hutchinson, George. “Harlem Renaissance: American literature and art.” Britannica, 2022). This period of literature worked to “reconceptualize ‘the Negro’ apart from the white stereotypes” and “to break free of Victorian moral values and bourgeois shame” (“Harlem Renaissance: American literature and art.”). While Madgett wrote most of her texts after the designated period of the Harlem Renaissance, her mentors were integral influencers and writers during this literary period, such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Madgett felt the effects of the Harlem Renaissance as her work grew from the influence of these bellwether poets who brought African American writing into public view. Madgett continued their legacy with her Lotus Press as she gave voice to underrepresented African American writers.