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White stars is no less lovely being dark, And there are buds that cannot bloom at all. In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall; So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds, And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds. Countee Cullen, “From the Dark Tower” from My Soul’s High Song: The Collected Writings of Countee Cullen.
Countee Cullen published "From the Dark Tower" in 1927 in his second collection of poems, Copper Sun. The poem is a sonnet that focuses on the injustices of racism, as the speaker notes that white people deprive Black people of the fruits of their labor.
- Summary
- Themes
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Detailed Analysis
- Similar Poetry
From the Dark Towerby Countee Cullen is a powerful piece of writing about the future of Black men, women, and children. In the first lines of ‘From the Dark Tower,’ the speaker begins by saying that “we,” Black men and women, aren’t always going to be the ones doing all the hard work that others profit from. This suggests that now, that is the case...
Throughout this poem, the poet engages with themes of racism and oppression. The piece takes the reader into the mind of a Black speaker who is defining what the world is like now for his community and how it’s going to change in the future. They aren’t always going to be treated the way they are. Eventually, things are going to change, and they wo...
‘From the Dark Tower’ by Countee Cullen is a fourteen-line Petrarchan sonnet. This means the first half of the poem follows a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA. The second half, which in a Petrarchan sonnet can take several forms, rhymes CCDDEE. This is one of the more common patterns. Another element of Petrarchan sonnets readers should be aware of is the ...
Metaphor: in the second half of the poem, the poet compares the Black community to the night sky and the flowers that flourish in the dark. It is a comparisoncreated without using “like” or “as.”Caesura: seen through the use of a pause in the middle of a line of verse. For example, “And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.” It can be created through the use of meteror the use of punctuation.Stanza One
In the first lines of ‘From the Dark Tower,’ Cullen begins by noting that in the future, things are going to be different from what they are today. He uses “we” throughout the poem, referring to the Black community. They are not always going to be taken advantage of and misused by those around them. The work they do is not always going to be reaped by someone else. He continues to put forward these better possibilities and presents a determined and optimistic tone. He uses a metaphor in lines...
Stanza Two
There is a turn between the first and second stanzas or between the octave and sestet. The poet transitions into more lyrical verse. He describes the night sky and the stars, which are no less beautiful because it’s dark outside. The dark, a symbolof Blackness, should be appreciated. Emphasizing this, he adds that there are some situations in which darkness is necessary, such as for certain flowers to bloom that can’t in the bright light. The final two lines describe how until these things ha...
Readers who enjoyed ‘From the Dark Tower’ should also consider reading some other Countee Cullen poems. For example: 1. ‘Any Human to Another’ – describes how essential human interaction is. He also reveals how one person suffering affectseveryone. 2. ‘Hey, Black Child’ – a moving and memorable poem that is dedicated to all the black children who h...
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- October 9, 1995
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From the Dark Tower. Countee Cullen. 1903 –. 1946. We shall not always plant while others reap. The golden increment of bursting fruit, Not always countenance, abject and mute, That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap; Not everlastingly while others sleep.
“From the Dark Tower” is a sonnet by Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen. One of Cullen’s best-known works, it was published in his collection Copper Sun (1927). It is the first poem in the book, in the section titled “Color.”
"From the Dark Tower" explores the way in which the work of Black individuals is not given proper recognition or compensation. Using images from nature, Cullen is able to describe these injustices obliquely, writing about racial prejudice in a coded manner.
Major Themes in “From the Dark Tower”: Hope of good days, anti-racism, and injustice are three major thematic strands of this sonnet “From the Dark Tower.” The sonnet shows its theme of hope through the first four quatrains stating that the days when they would be bowing down to injustice and serving others like servants are numbered.
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