Poetry Out Loud Performances

Shawntay A. Henry recites Frederick Douglass By: Robert E. Hayden with a powerful voice that causes my brain to slow, and catch every word she says. Her physical presence alone was sure to define confidence; the thoughtful glance she had, the confident stance she took, and the key movements she expressed deliberately were as if she were the one who wrote the poem. However, it was her voice and articulation that helped me understand the meaning of the poem. The strength behind the words she delivered was not at all hindering, nor overwhelming. It held the passion of a story teller telling her own story, and the authority of high rank.

Listening to her recitation helped me interpret the poem. Basically, what Hayden was trying to capture with his poem was that the hard work put into acheiving freedom mustn't be forgotten. Frederick Douglass was a slave, beaten for his hope in a freedom that we've taken for granted, and he must not be forgotton. The beauty and grace of freedom must not be forgotton. For the dream of a man in history is now alive in our hands, and we must keep appreciating it, or it is worthless.