Poet and dramatist Amiri Baraka said, “There is no depth to education without art.” Poetry is a unique art form that has significance within many cultures. Poets within the African American community have long used poetry as a medium for expression, reflection, and call to action regarding their struggles for freedom and equality. The lessons in the Furious Flower Poetry Archive focus on the following three themes prevalent in African American poetry: Timeline: History, Witness, and the Struggle for Freedom in African American Poetry; Language, Music, and the Vernacular Tradition in African American Poetry; and Seeding the Future of African American Poetry. Each theme-based lesson begins with relevant background information about the poet, a video of a poet reading a poem, the printed version of the poem, and follows with four question-based topics to drive instruction. The topics follow: Reader Response, History and Culture, Craft and Structure, and Reading and Writing Connections.

Considering that students bring their own histories and cultural identities to their school experiences, it is important that students learn about and see their cultural heritages reflected in the reading and writing they do in their high school courses. For this reason, the poetry lessons are student centered and begin by asking questions that relate the themes in the poems to the lives of the students. Once students have made personal connections with the poems based on their own experiences, they are then ready to make connections with the themes and concepts discussed in the poems. In coupling the students’ perspectives with those of the poets, the educational team believes that the students’ study of the poetry will have deeper meaning for them and will create a more lasting impact in their lives.

If you are new to reading poetry, the following questions will act as a beginner’s guide. As you read each poem, ask yourself, “Who is the speaker in the poem?” “To whom is the poem addressed?” “What tone does the speaker use in the poem?” “What event does this poem describe?” and “What happens in the poem?” Each of these questions will be essential in aiding your understanding of the poems below.