Essay 3

I am considering the poem on page 330 of the Carolina Reader, "Martin Luther King Jr.," by Gwendolyn Brooks, for my historical analysis. This poem was written in 1970, two years after the Civil Rights Movement ended and two years after Martin Luther King Jr. died. I think the timing of when this poem was written greatly affects the overall theme present. The message here is that Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and actions were so strong and so necessary that they will continue to have an effect on people even years later.
The theme is inspiration and what the inspiration of a great leader can do for people. The fact that the poem was written after Martin Luther king Jr. died and the full swing of the Civil Rights Movement was over, just proves how strong King's influence was and still is at this time.
The cultural and historical context of this poem is one filled with hard times and inequality, especially for black people. This took place in America after the Civil War when slavery had been abolished but blacks were still being treated unfairly and were fighting desperately to change this. I am somewhat familiar with these times because of history classes I have taken touching on the Civil War and Civil Rights. Unfortunately, I don't know as much as I could and will have to look deeper into this time period and the events occurring specifically at the time the poem was written as well as the time when Martin Luther King Jr. was alive.
Key words like "Justice" and "Dream" are important because of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream..." Speech and because he preached about justice and fairness. These words relate back to the historical context of the time where blacks were not considered equal. The last lines of the poem are especially important "So it shall be spoken. So it shall be done" because they show the confidence the author has in King's words and the idea that his dreams and goals will continue to be carried out even though he is gone.