“Merry-Go-Round”
By Langston Hughes
(COLORED CHILD AT CARNIVAL)
Where is the Jim Crow section
On this merry-go-round,
Mister, cause I want to ride?
Down South where I come from
White and colored
Can't sit side by side.
Down South on the train
There's a Jim Crow car.
On the bus we're put in the back--
But there ain't no back
To a merry-go-round!
Where's the horse
For a kid that's black?
Poetry Discussion Questions
1. Describe the speaker of this poem. What do you know about the speaker?
2. What is the Occasion?The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing.
3. Who is the Audience? The group of readers to whom this piece is directed.
4. What is the Purpose?The reason behind the text.
5. What effect does this poem have knowing that it comes from the point of
view of a child? Would the effect be the same or different with another point of
view?
6. Which character from To Kill a Mockingbird could you see asking this question
and why?
A very sad point of view. Yes because racism is bad. They did not want black people to be on the merry go round so there is not back. Scout, because she is so innocent and she is inquisitive. Chase and David
ReplyDelete"South where I come from White and colored Can't sit side by side." this is powerful because there is no place where the blacks are supposed to segragate to and they are so used to it that they automatically look for it.
Delete1. This poem is more innocent because it is written by a child. It shows that they are born innocent and harmless but as they grow up if they learn racism they will become racist. But as of right now this child doesn't understand and it makes the poem significant and the fact that it's become such a normal part of their life.
ReplyDelete2. It is symbolic that there is no back on a merry-go-round because it shows equality. There is no back so there is no segregation and way to be separated, it is really significant.
3. I could see Scout asking this question because she is the only one with some innocence left and she doesn't understand why black and white people aren't equal.
4. The line from the poem that is most powerful is "there ain't no back to a merry-go-round!" I think this is the most powerful line in the poem because it shows the equality and how it is impossible to separate people in a circle.
I don't think that this would have a better point of view from an adult because children are innocent and don't know how to do with things like this so when the child seems sad and in need of help, then it's more saddening. It is symbolic because there technically is not an end of the merry-go-round so there is no specific place for a black child. If Scout was black, this would definitely be here because she is always asking innocent questions that a curious child would ask. The line that is so powerful in this poem would be, "on the bus we're put in the back - but there ain't no back to a merry-go-round!" unfortunately it almost seems like the child is getting fed up with the Jim Crow laws because all she wants to do is ride but doesn't know where it would be acceptable for him/her to sit.
ReplyDelete1)The affect that it has is that it has a lot of power of what she thinks, because she's a child that she was born into and now she's excluded from the things she wants to participate in, but can't because of her color. This affect would be different if it was an adult because, as an adult trying to explain to that child why she can't ride the marry go round would be very difficult.
ReplyDelete2) The child doesn't understand that the ride is only for blacks and that she can't be a normal child just because of her color. The ride is equal because there's no back and you couldn't tell where the line of segregation takes place.
3) I could see Scout asking this question because she doesn't under everything and she's done nothing wrong. She's innocent.
4) "Where's the horse For a kid that's black?". This is the most powerful line of the poem, because how would an adult tell their child who is black that they couldn't ride it because, there's no horse on the ride that's for a black child.
1. What effect does this poem have knowing that it comes from the point of
ReplyDeleteview of a child? Would the effect be the same or different with another point of
view?
It shows that the child was born into it and how innocent it was. The child was so used to being segregated that she was looking for a back to sit, but there is none. It would have another effect if it was an adult.
2. What is so symbolic about there not being a back to a merry-go-round?
It shows a continuing cycle. There is no back to it, so she has no idea where to sit.
3. Which character from To Kill a Mockingbird could you see asking this question
and why?
I could see Scout asking this question because she's an innocent child who, if black, would be used to segregation such as this.
4. Which line from the poem is most powerful? Explain.
"On the bus we're put in the back--
But there ain't no back
To a merry-go-round!"
I think this is the most powerful part of the poem because she's so used to being in the back that she doesn't even know where to get on. It shows how she accepts the segregation.
1. What effect does this poem have knowing that it comes from the point of
ReplyDeleteview of a child? Would the effect be the same or different with another point of
view?
It's depressing, because she doesn't know why she can't do things that the other white children can do. She's also innocent, because she isn't racist. She was born into it, so it isn't fair to her.
2. What is so symbolic about there not being a back to a merry-go-round?
In buses, the black people sit in the back, but sense there's no back in the Marry-go-round, it means that they aren't allowed ANYWHERE on the Merry-go-round. She doesn't understand where their place on the Merry-go-round for her and her family, sense she's so used to being segregated.
3. Which character from To Kill a Mockingbird could you see asking this question
and why?
Probably Scout. She's not black, but she's also still innocent. She doesn't seem like she'd be racist, so she would probably be very confused if say, Calpurnia was segregated from them and wasn't allowed near them on a bus.
4. Which line from the poem is most powerful? Explain.
'Can't sit side by side.' This is the most powerful line, because it shows that white and black people can't sit side-by-side, because they aren't equals. It's showing that they know that they can't, and a kid this age to be knowing this is very sad in my opinion. Kids should not suffer because racism. Especially sense they haven't done anything to deserve that treatment.
1) It shows that the lack of understanding of kids point of view on
ReplyDelete2) Its significant so you can't tell where people are compared to you. It shows a lot more equality.
3) Scout because she has just grown up around it and doesn't understand completely
4) On the bus we're put in the back--
But there ain't no back
I think this is the most important line because it shows how kids from the south are so different and automatically are concerned about people's race.
1) I think it make this poem very important because she's just a innocent, little child and she doesn't understand why things are like this. It would have been different if it were an adult because the adults have lived longer and their innocence is gone because they've been exposed to it for so long that they know why things are like that.
ReplyDelete2) It's symbolic because since black people have to sit in the back of the bus and since there is not back in the merry-go-round because it makes it seems like it's equal because there is no certain spot for segregation so they don't know their place.
3) I can see Scout asking this question because she's and innocent little girl that doesn't understand everything yet because she is so young and hasn't experienced anything yet, just like this child's point of view from the poem.
4) I think the line "Where's the horse For a kid that's black" is the most important line of this poem. This is because it shows how the child doesn't know their place or where to go. Also, it shows that there is some equality but at the same time there is still segregation in place.
1) The affect that this poem has knowing it comes from a child is very sad because the child is looking for where his spot is on the ride. If it were an older adult they would have known the answer, which was that they could ride a merry-go-round because there was no designated spot for them.
ReplyDelete2) It is symbolic that a merry-go-round has no back because wherever you are on the merry-go-round, you are in the front and back, you were equal. So if a black person rode it, they would be equal to whites on the ride.
3) I could see Scout asking this question because she is always curious about things because she is little. On the contrary, she couldn't ask this question because Scout is white.
4)"But there ain't no back
To a merry-go-round!" this is the most important line in the poem because it shows that a merry-go-round has no back. Therefore, to ride it you have to be equal to everyone else who rides it.
1. This child is raised different than one from the north. He has dealt and has been the victim of so much racism that he expects it everywhere. A child that experiences things early in their life affect them later on and influences their decisions and personality. This child is expecting there to be a specific place for black people on this carousel because that's how it has been for a long time and that is how he was raised.
ReplyDelete2. The symbolism of there not being a back to a carousel shows that there is forced equality among whites and blacks. The only thing you can designate to a black person is if some of the horses are rotting and ready to fall off.
3. I see Scout asking this question because she's innocent and doesn't believe in the unequal treatment of people. She's the wild card and was raised with morals from Atticus.
4. The line from the poem that is the most powerful is the last two, "Where's the horse for a kid that's black." It coincides with the first and second questions on how it's forced equality on a carousel because there's no back.
1.) This poem effects people more because of the innocence of the child. Children are to young to understand whats wrong and whats right and in this poem the kid has gotten used to be picked on.
ReplyDelete2.) It is symbolic because there is no back to a marry-go-round. This shows that there is no place for black people and they just get kicked to the side.
3.) Scout would ask this question because she is too young and innocent to know whats wrong and right.
4.) The most important quote is "But there ain't no back To a merry-go-round! where's the horse for a kid that's black?".
1.) This poem should have a very powerful effect to you because it is from a child's point of view. The effect, in my opinion, would be the same if it was from an adult's point of view. There is still that question there, where;s the horse for a kid that's black? This can be used for whatever age, young or old.
ReplyDelete2.) The symbolic part of there not being a back to a merry-go-round is that the colored person does not know where they belong now. They may be so used to sitting in the "colored section only" that when there isn't one, they are lost.
3.) I can see Scout asking some kind of question like that because she is so curious about everything. She brought up about how the Cunningham's were poor many times and asked many questions about them.
4.) I think they last line in the poem, "where's the horse for a kid that's black?", is the most powerful because it strikes you and makes you confused. Where is the horse, should there be one? It makes you think about where the merry-go-round is.
1.) This poem should have a very powerful effect to you because it is from a child's point of view. The effect, in my opinion, would be the same if it was from an adult's point of view. There is still that question there, where;s the horse for a kid that's black? This can be used for people that have the same causes.
ReplyDelete2.) The symbolic part of there not being a back to a merry-go-round is that the colored person does not know where they belong now. They may be so used to sitting in the "colored section only" that when there isn't one person lost in the world people loss their interest in everything.
3. )I think that Jem has a lot of question hanging out for of the way that everything for apart and that nothing else goes back the way that it was in the beginning of the book and the questions that are waiting to be answered.
4.)I believe that this quote 'On the bus we're put in the back--But there ain't no back' shows the emotional digress of the people that lived during the Jim Crows Laws .This showed how the blacks and the whites made their lives as miserable times just because they were different color.
1. The speaker of this poem is a colored child at a carnival. He is innocent and doesn’t think about racism. It’s just the way he lives with the white and blacks separated. He thinks it’s so normal to have the two sections and how weird it is that the carnival doesn’t have one.
ReplyDelete2. What is symbolic about there not being a back to a merry-go-round is it’s a circle first of all so there is no back. It shows equality and the fact that the author doesn’t know where to sit and that’s the first thing the author does is look at if there’s two sections.
3. I could see Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird asking this question because she hasn’t lost a lot of her innocence yet and doesn’t fully understand everything.
4. The most powerful line from the poem is “Where’s the horse, for a kid that’s black?” I think this is the most powerful line because it shows that kids know what’s going on. They might not understand racism but they do understand that there is segregation. It shows how this is how they were taught to live and how sad it is that kids have to worry about it.