booker t vs web
2487214
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s when African Americans were recognized as people by the law, there was still resistance from the majority of the country. While the constitution declared blacks equal to whites, many still didn’t believe or understand these particular views. The struggling African Americans were caught in a predicament with each other over the best way to gain respect and civil rights. So, some took to the pen and paper. Writers like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois agreed economically, but when it came to issues of education and politics, they differed greatly. In fact, the mid-late 1900s poet Dudley Randall depicted this debate precisely in his poem “Booker T. and W.E.B. Du Bois.” In his poem, Randall frames the debate in a rhythmic, compare and contrast manner, while making sure not to take any particular side. Instead, he led a more omniscient point of view.
This poem’s masterful combination of rhyme and contrast perfectly depicts the black controversy of that time. With whites already against them, African Americans struggled to unify and find common ground to fight for what they all demanded. Randall’s deliberate use of form, paired with his poetic incertitude and suggestiveness, brought his message alive on the page. His rhyme schemes and stanza lengths also help contribute to Randall’s meaning by aiding in driving hope the main point and contrast between the two historical figures, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. The comparison of points by Du Bois parallel to the contradictory attitudes aid in framing the poet’s base for the debate. When Washington argues “But work, and save, and buy a house,” Du Bois automatically replies “For what can property avail if dignity and justice fail?” The rhetorical mode of compare and contrast, back and forth dialogue, continue through the entire piece. In the first half, Washington believes manual labor is more valuable than “studying chemistry or Greek,” where W.E.B. follows as
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s when African Americans were recognized as people by the law, there was still resistance from the majority of the country. While the constitution declared blacks equal to whites, many still didn’t believe or understand these particular views. The struggling African Americans were caught in a predicament with each other over the best way to gain respect and civil rights. So, some took to the pen and paper. Writers like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois agreed economically, but when it came to issues of education and politics, they differed greatly. In fact, the mid-late 1900s poet Dudley Randall depicted this debate precisely in his poem “Booker T. and W.E.B. Du Bois.” In his poem, Randall frames the debate in a rhythmic, compare and contrast manner, while making sure not to take any particular side. Instead, he led a more omniscient point of view.
This poem’s masterful combination of rhyme and contrast perfectly depicts the black controversy of that time. With whites already against them, African Americans struggled to unify and find common ground to fight for what they all demanded. Randall’s deliberate use of form, paired with his poetic incertitude and suggestiveness, brought his message alive on the page. His rhyme schemes and stanza lengths also help contribute to Randall’s meaning by aiding in driving hope the main point and contrast between the two historical figures, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. The comparison of points by Du Bois parallel to the contradictory attitudes aid in framing the poet’s base for the debate. When Washington argues “But work, and save, and buy a house,” Du Bois automatically replies “For what can property avail if dignity and justice fail?” The rhetorical mode of compare and contrast, back and forth dialogue, continue through the entire piece. In the first half, Washington believes manual labor is more valuable than “studying chemistry or Greek,” where W.E.B. follows as