Hi Everyone…as we all know, there have been many protests all over the USA. These protests support the idea of BLACK LIVES MATTER. Look out for an upcoming post (will post soon) that goes into more detail about these topics. I want to be able to spread awareness and make use of this platform. Keep reading on…

The poem “We Are Not Responsible” is a type of protest poetry. It is written by Harryette Mullen, 66, who is a Professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles, an American Poet, a short story writer, and literary scholar. She teaches creative writing and African – American literature at UCLA.

This poem was published in 2002, from Mullen’s book, “Sleeping With the Dictionary.”  This poem comes out extremely strong as it is written from the perspective of a group of people who hold some responsibility but don’t accept it well and follow through with it. The reason it truly hits hard is due to the fact that the poem sounds like a mockery. Meaning, in my opinion,  it shows irony. That these people have a certain duty however, it is as if they end up doing the exact opposite. It gives the idea that gruesome things are done by people we give authority to.

The poem has the use of a lot of figurative language such as metaphors. Some examples are:

  • “…please extinguish all smoldering resentments.”
  • “We are unable to find the key to your legal case.”

There is also a sense of rhyme in there. We know this because each line is made up of a similar amount of syllables. Perhaps, we can argue that the poem represents the situation of migrant workers entering a country. As we hear many times circulating in the news, one prevalent country that comes to mind is the USA. Obviously, there are many issues with migrant workers entering the country.  Considering the fact Mullen works there, perhaps, as an artist, she decided to reflect the times and what she has some sort of connection to.

Lastly, obviously there are many ways this poem helps raise consciousness and build a united front. This poem also exposes a lot of grim truths of our world today. For instance, the starting line in stanza 1 and the ending lines in stanza 2 are the best examples of lines that may apply to more than one issue. We realize there are many issues that especially connect to the line “Please remain calm, or we can’t be held responsible for what happens to you.” We can apply this to the killing of George Floyd and the killing of numerous other black people through police malpractice and brutality which seems to be reserved in most cases, for the blacks. A book that explains this further is “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas. It really opened my eyes to the fact that children who are black grow up with parents always worried about them, thinking they may not return home one day. They grow up learning how to not question what a cop does to you etc, even if it is a violation of human rights.  These types of situations clearly translate into some of the lines of this poem. Additionally, overall, this poem lets us know that governments and the different authorities can sometimes truly be selfish and do things in a way that supports their thinking and their thinking only (though the poem may not be specifically about this). Not what is best for everyone. All in all, this poem displays the violation of a couple of human rights, the disclaimer of the world’s humanity today, a lack of responsibility, and finally, the misfeasance of the government.

Here is the link to the poem! You can check out many more online! I encourage you to find a way you can support the BLM movement. It is extremely crucial. Donations can be made, petitions can be signed, youtube videos can be watched who donate all generated revenue through advertisements to support this cause.

“Speaking truth to power remains a crucial role of the poet in the face of political and media rhetoric designed to obscure, manipulate, or worse.”

Educate yourself and stay safe! See you soon!

Arshiya x

WORKS CITED:

  1. “Group Protest Poetry Study-We Are Not Responsible.” Prezi.com, prezi.com/p/h3gq_buyzpez/group-protest-poetry-study-we-are-not-responsible/. Accessed 7 June 2020.