By: Cassidy Heil
The Harlem Renaissance is a renewal and flourishing of
black literary and musical culture during the years after
World War I in the Harlem section of New York City.
About Arna
Arna Bontemps was
born in Alexandria,
Louisiana. He mostly
wrote about the
struggles and hard
times of the Black
Americans. His
writings were an
important
contribution to this
time period.
God give the yellow man
an easy breeze at blossom time.
Grant his eager, slanting eyes to cover
every land and dream
of afterwhile.
Give blue-eyed men their swivel chairs
to whirl in tall buildings.
Allow them many ships at sea,
and on land, soldiers
and policemen.
For black man, God,
no need to bother more
but only fill afresh his meed
of laughter,
his cup of tears.
God suffer little men
the taste of soul's desire.
This poem is stating that white people
have life so much easier then black
people. For example, he says, “God give
the yellow man an easy breeze at
blossom time.” In this sentence he is
saying that god makes everything come
easy to white men. But for the black
people, god makes everything so much
harder and black men suffer more.
The tone of this poem is trying to make you feel
depressed, and sad that black people are treated
differently then white people. He basically says that white
people get everything they want and dream for, and black
people don’t get anything they deserve or want for hard
work.
“Give blue-eyed men their swivel chairs” -Imagery
-Makes you paint a picture in your mind of what
she’s saying.
Juxtaposition- an act or instance of placing close together
or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.
 She uses juxtaposition by contrasting the differences
between black and white people.
Like his close friend Langston Hughes and their fellow
writers in the Harlem Renaissance, Arna Bontemps
explored African-American experience in a wide variety of
genres. As a poet, novelist, historian, anthologist and
archivist, he enriched and preserved black cultural
heritage.
 Harlem Renaissance Facts | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5145062_harlemrenaissance.html#ixzz1lzWiZnE9