Structure and Story

After reading through the first few poems, I was left a little puzzled by the organization, flow, and fit of the poems within the text as a whole. The concept of jazz poetry is quite foreign to me. The poems are structured to work in such a way that is off kilter if you will; it gives off a feel of eccentricity, which I believe, helps describe life in Harlem during this time.

The synthesis of the distinct poems within the poem works to convey the life stories of several unique characters united by similar struggles, beliefs, and desires. The little nuances, those jazzy riffs, etc., work to emphasize importances about each character’s day to day life and give readers a very realistic picture of Harlem in the 1950’s. 

The varied and sometimes incongruous structures and stories are brought together by a common theme. The Montage emphasizes the discrimination that each one of the characters described struggles with, both individually and as a group, making their worlds almost unlivable. In order to survive during this time, the African Americans must put off their desires and cope with the domination of prejudice. 

Jazz was an extraordinary outlet that strengthened tenacious spirits and hopes for equality. This poem certainly follows with the idea of art as a means of expression of sentiments during such harsh times. The poems display that sense of the individual African American revealing their thoughts, opinions that would get them in trouble if manifested.

Questions:

How do you think the varied and distinct structuring of each poem within the Montage of a Dream Deferred impacts the reader? 

Do we have one speaker describing the lives of those in his/her surrounding neighborhood, or do we have several individuals speaking for themselves?

Were there any lines that struck you and stressed the distressful struggle for equality? Further, were there any lines that emphasized a sense of cheerfulness and hope?