What is the meaning of the Congo poem?

The poem itself was inspired by a sermon on a missionary drowning in the Congo River, and tells the story of an isolated tribal society confronted with outsiders. It’s worth reading aloud to yourself, if only for a lesson in historical racial attitudes.

What is the underlying message of the Congo by Vachel Lindsay?

In the end, The Congo demonstrates the multiplicity of our nature, that it is a creature of both rhythm and reason. To the extent we reject this poem, even if we find a politically correct way of putting it behind us by calling it racist, we deny something true and authentic about ourselves.

Why did Vachel Lindsay commit suicide?

Crushed by financial worry and in failing health from his six-month road trip, Lindsay sank into depression. On December 5, 1931, he committed suicide by drinking a bottle of lye.

Who was Olive E Lindsay?

Lindsay Shepherd Olive, a mycologist who was a long- time professor of botany, first at Columbia University in New York and later at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, died on October 19, 1988, at the age of seventy-one, in Highlands, North Carolina.

How old was Langston Hughes when he wrote this poem?

“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1921) Written when he was 17 years old on a train to Mexico City to see his father, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” was Hughes’ first poem which received critical acclaim after it was published in the June 1921 issue of the NAACP magazine The Crisis.

What is the poem title that Mr. Keating introduces himself with who wrote it?

“O captain! My captain!” he said with a smile. Keating introduces himself to the class quoting a poem written by Walt Whitman about Abraham Lincoln, telling his students to address him as Mr. Keating or, if they are more daring, “o captain, my captain.”

What does Todd Andersons poem mean?

Todd’s poem is all about being “not good enough” and unable to fully express emotions. Life is like a blanket that doesn’t actually provide any warmth or comfort: instead, it stifles his voice as he tries to scream.

What does Mr. Keating say after Todds poem?

KEATING: “I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.” W. W. Uncle Walt again. Now, for those of you who don’t know, a yawp is a loud cry or yell. Now, Todd, I would like you to give us a demonstration of a barbaric “yawp.” Come on.