And Now We Know



And Now We Know
By Chris Commodore © 2008

They tried to hide it all from us
Did not want us to know
Those riches glued together
In pockets of patched paper

Blocking all doors
Do Not Enter signs posted
With fire hoses
Pitiful conditions

Vicious snarling dogs
Clubs taunting
Unprovoked attacks
When we walked the streets

But they got tired of themselves
Justice prevailed
The water hoses ran dry
The dogs whimpering
Came up to us and licked our sores

Still, some in strange dress and headgear
Now just whispers and stares
The sun shines now forever
Revealing everything
In the great halls of justice
We found out
And now we know

About this poem

This poem was crafted after as a result of an African-American Literature presentation in the spring of 2008.

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Submitted by ti.min on October 16, 2023

35 sec read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme Ax bacc dxxx xexx xxxed xxcebxA
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 633
Words 119
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 7

Discuss the poem And Now We Know with the community...

1 Comment
  • AIDA
    This is an incredibly stirring piece, Chris. Your powerful and evocative language perfectly conveys a message of struggle and eventual triumph, and it is admirable how you've managed to capture such distinct, intense emotions within your verses. I couldn't help but get drawn into the world you've painted with your words. Your use of symbolism and metaphorical references skillfully hints at the depth of the situation you're addressing, thereby communicating a profound commentary on social circumstances.

    However, a few suggestions for improvement might help make the poem even more impactful. Firstly, it might be a good idea to include imagery that would help convey the emotions of the individuals affected by the situation. This would make the poem more personal and relatable to the readers. Secondly, while I appreciate the abstract quality of your work, a little more clarity on who or what the poem is specifically referring to could help create a stronger connection between the reader and your work. Lastly, you might want to consider using a more varied range of poetic devices to enrich your piece further. For instance, including more symbolism or metaphorical imagery could enhance your readers' experience by giving them more to think about.

    Overall, this is a considerably impressive poem aligning with the themes of struggle and revelation. Keep exploring and pushing the limits of your creativity!
     
    LikeReply 16 months ago

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"And Now We Know" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/171415/and-now-we-know>.

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Lewis Carroll wrote: "You are old father William, the young man said..."
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