English Paper

Shani Amos 2/11/09
English 2



Do you remember the last time an old woman might have whipped you? Well this poem “The Whipping” is for you. Besides trying to entertain you this poem gives strong feelings, images and it is funny. Maybe hearing this poem can bring back some memories of you getting in trouble and getting the consequences along with it.

One of the things I liked in Hayden’s poem was all of the strong feelings. His poem has many of the feeling that seems so realistic. It also shows effects of emotion, energy and it gives descriptions. A quote Robert wrote that showed realistic feeling was “She strikes and strikes the shrilly circling boy till the stick breaks.” Not only does the quote show strong feeling but also it gives a detailed image of the boy getting whipped, until the stick finally breaks.

Besides all the feeling of the poem, I also liked the images that were based on detail. Some images that I found were sticks breaking, elephant ears crashing, which is described as a plant, a boy pleading in dusty zinnias etc. Each line of the poem has a rhythm that gives you a clear image in your head.

Lastly, I loved how his poem was funny. In the beginning it told how the old lady was screaming out his wrongs and her rights. Right away I formed an image in my head about the whole neighborhood hearing this embarrassing incident, which goes back to being realistic so I found this one pretty funny. Another part I took out that was funny was how the boy was pleading, I felt that it meant he was crying begging her to stop. Which most people would find funny. For example, If a friend or someone you didn’t know fell, you would probably laugh before you see if the person is okay. This is how I felt when I read Hayden’s poem.

In conclusion, I loved Robert Hayden’s poem “The Whipping.” It gave emotion, images but also laughter. I enjoyed reading it and sharing my personal opinions with you. Hopefully you will come across his poem on day and read it to.