The intro of “Urban Warming” by Truth Thomas, hooks the reader by mentioning famous stereotypes of African-American culture. For instance, “black speak” and “Hip Hop Fish and Chicken”. The writer doesn’t include studies or research, but rather a personal experience and what he sees around him. This story paints a picture by stating the characters as bystanders and describing the food they are eating as harmful. The text incorporated a lot of imagery. For example, he states a setting where his story is taking place, “Edgar’s harbor village”. He also describes the people and the food. This poem is structured in sequence. The beginning introduces the setting. the next section mentions the terrible food and how the people enjoy it. The third section describes the behaviors of the people in the neighborhood. the last section dives deep into the rooted prejudice deep within America. The people of the neighborhood are the product of that and the writer portrays how they will eat in jail like outside. The message is that urban areas, mostly impoverished, are filled with junk. Mostly because of the food served, there isn’t healthy. Also, the people that inhabit the area should strive for better. I will emulate the health risk factors. I will also emulate how Thomas paints a picture with everyday scenarios. I will avoid cursing because I want my poem to appear innocent.
I have never read this poem Urban Warming before, but it is very interesting and you did a good job finding it.
You have done a good analysis and it is not easy to analyze a poem, so kudos to you!
A few things I would add:
Can you examine the TITLE and why it works or does not work? In other words, explain how the title is or is not effective. Urban Warming…is this a play on the Global Warming environmental phrase? So what is the Global Warming that is portrayed in the poem? I think you are right in that this poem is giving a picture of the ways urban life is NOT healthy: the food, the language and the curse words that are part of everyday life for people who are living in these inner city tough neighborhoods.
The poet Truth repeats “french fried” to describe not just the poor quality of the food but the lack of opportunity (“french fried luck”) for people in these urban neighborhoods. When Truth writes: our hush
puppy young, made beasts behind these bars, could he be saying some thing about the young people who end up in jails. I agree with your analysis that Truth uses imagery of food to portray the poor quality of life in these neigborhoods. You say it well when you write: The message is that urban areas, mostly impoverished, are filled with junk. GOOD on getting the message.
Can you comment on the way Truth ends his poem: WHAT DOES IT MEAN “When your order is up, you will eat anything tossed inside the cage.”?
So the poem is comparing Environmental Destruction with Urban Destruction. And the message is that life in poor urban neighborhoods is heating up. Could Truth’s use of the word Warming or the image of Warming or Heating up mean ripe for rebellion and protest and fighting for better lives here?
This poem reminds me of that movie by Spike Lee “Do the Right Thing.” In that movie the neighborhood which is basically a ghetto neighborhood explodes in fire, riot, protest on one single HOT summer day. A great movie and if you haven’t seen it, you ought to!
Nason, you made me think with your choice of mentor poem. Very very interesting. I am looking forward to seeing what you do with your Genre Project.