The Tradition

In “The Tradition,” Jericho Brown mentions “classical / Philosophers” (Lines 3-4), but does not name them. He also mentions “news reports” (Line 6), but does not name any specific journalists or outlets. This reflects the poet’s prioritization of the Black experience. He does not devote much space or attention to classical western luminaries or media organizations. Recalling the famous rallying cry of the #BlackLivesMatters movement, “Say Their Names,” he prioritizes naming the elements he associates with Black Americans in his poem.

Of great importance in “The Tradition” are the names of the flowers, which are metaphors for Black lives: “Aster. Nasturtium. Delphinium” (Line 1); “Star Gazer. / Foxglove” (Lines 4-5); and “Cosmos. Baby’s Breath” (Line 8). Most significantly of all, in the last line of the poem Brown names three Black men murdered by police officers, “John Crawford. Eric Garner. Mike Brown” (Line 14). By moving from metaphorical botanical language to the names of three real-life people, Brown resists the trend of making Black deaths an impersonal list of statistics. He emphasizes each man’s individuality, humanity, and, by extension, the incredible tragedy of their deaths.