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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BATTERY, by JEAN COCTEAU First Line: Sun, as the savages I adore Last Line: Sun, delightful fire of hell. Subject(s): African Americans; Negroes; American Blacks | |||
Sun, as the savages I adore you, lying full length on the shore. Sun, you make your own prints of animals, and the fruits' tints. Sting my body, burn it brown; beat my load of sorrow down. The negro, with his teeth agrin, is black without, is rose within. But I am black within and rose without; the colors please transpose. Change of scent and shade my dower, as you changed Hyacinth to flower. Make the cricket cry in the pine tree; be as an oven over me. The tree at midday full of night spreads about its twilight. Thus make my phantoms leave, sun, snake of Adam and Eve. Make me somewhat used to say my friend John is dead today. Lottery, your hazard thrives with urns, with ballots, and with knives. Unload your wares as you may please for the wild beasts, or the Antilles. For us now draw forth your prize not to swallow up our eyes. Glutton's Booth, adorn your clothes with velvet, glass, arpeggios. Tear out my evil, bravely harry it, impostor of the golden chariot. How warm it is! But it's midday. I'm not quite sure of what I say. My shadow's no longer outside of me, sun! the months' menagerie. Sun, Barnum, Buffalo Bill, you make me more tipsy than opium will. You are a toreador, a clown, you hang your golden watch-chain down. You are a blue negro who boxes the equator and the equinoxes. Sun, your sharp blows have not missed; on my neck your weighted fist. Still my pain you most dispel, sun, delightful fire of hell. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MY AUNT ELLA MAE by MICHAEL S. HARPER DERRICK POEM (THE LOST WORLD) by TERRANCE HAYES ODE TO BIG TREND by TERRANCE HAYES WOOFER (WHEN I CONSIDER THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN) by TERRANCE HAYES CONDITIONS XXI by ESSEX HEMPHILL |
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