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Analyzing Two Poems: Money Won’t Change It (But Time Will Take You On) and A Small Moment by Cornelius Eady
Introduction
Poetry, as with all other forms of literature, gains inspiration from community life, in that poets tend to write about scenes that characterize what they witness from their surroundings every single day. As a communicatory art form, poetry does not just limit itself to a patch of words that conceal abstract meanings. Rather, poetry also has the power to paint images of life within the community through creative words (Kryder 34-37). That is perhaps the emphasis provided by Cornelius Eady, who has written several poems portraying African-American life. Being an African-American poet, Eady revealed his deep immersion in the community he belongs in through his poems that often portray the human side of the people around him (Jones 16-25; Thretheway 193-195). This study, therefore, seeks to analyze two poems written by Eady – Money Won’t Change It (But Time Will Take You On) and A Small Moment, both in terms of their complementarity and thematic similarities and differences with one another.
Money Won’t Change It and A Small Moment both complement one another in terms of the way both expose facets of life within the community in which Eady immersed. Racial and class problems were prevalent during the time of Eady, and it is from that point where he wrote the two poems. In the first poem, he talks about how his mother has suffered from the poor conditions of the crops they grew on the garden under the opening guise of a young woman who told her that she is a “rich lady”(Eady). Placing racial issues at hand, the attention paid by the young woman to the mother of Eady signified a sarcastic action against the fact that the latter has a backyard garden and a husband capable of paying bills. African-Americans, at the time when Eady was young, has gone through several rounds of discrimination that tend to focus on lowering their social status despite the days of widespread slavery in the United States (US) having been gone for more than 100 years. The mother of Eady emphasized on the nature of their neighbors as being unfriendly towards them, describing them as “modest houses that won’t give an inch” (Eady). The death of the crops in the garden may have led the mother of Eady into despair, but determination stands strong on her part as she said, “you can’t have nothing” to him. From that point thereon, one could describe the young woman earlier in the poem is taunting the mother of Eady as she fixes her garden by removing all the spoiled crops – a point that stresses out the unfair regard towards African-Americans during the period (Eady).
A lighter theme prevails on the second poem, which portrays the visit of Eady to his local bakery for its production of newly baked bread that day – a different complement in terms of emotions to the first poem. What Eady emphasized is the role of the woman behind the store counter, who said that she likes her work on “some days”, particularly during springtime. Whereas the refreshing spring weather may have had effects on the demeanor of the woman, her account nevertheless shows that she is highly dissatisfied with what she is doing. The job of the woman as a caretaker of the bakeshop she works in is reminiscent to work endeavors belonging to the lower classes. The friendly approach of Eady towards the woman may have hailed from the fact that both of them, although uncertain for the woman, are African-American. The fact that Eady has communicated well with the woman gives the impression that both of them (certain for the former but uncertain for the latter) may be African-Americans. During the time of Eady as a person growing up within his community, segregation against African-Americans are rife to the extent that none of those people have permission to enter a place that is as novel as the bakery mentioned in the poem. The poem noted that there are people inside the bakery (possibly Caucasian) that wanted to ask the same question asked by Eady about the kind of bread for serving but “somehow couldn’t”, possibly because of the racial and class division present. The superiority complex of Caucasians has become the subject of discrimination against African-Americans, leading both to forbid talking to one another (Eady).
Thematic Similarities
Both poems have successfully incorporated the theme of African-American community life, with emphasis on divisions provided by issues of race and class. In the first poem, the presence of the favorability of a deprived life for African-Americans represents the kind of hatred presented towards them by Caucasians in the US. The fact that the first poem presented a revolutionary call voiced out by the anguished yet determined African-American mother of Eady shows that the context of the poem has characteristics of rampant racism. For the second poem, it is also evident that racial and class divides are present between Eady and the bakery caretaker, on one hand, and the Caucasian customers on the other. It is noticeable that Eady comfortably conversed with the caretaker, whereas others have expressed reluctance towards asking her a very simple question that clearly involves her job. The fact that Caucasians in the US do not converse with African-Americans within the context of the second poem presents that there has been hatred aimed against the latter (Eady).
Conclusion
Eady wrote the two poems used in a manner that made both seem complementary and thematically similar with one another. Centering on the issues of race and class, Eady portrayed his two poems based on everyday life experiences within his community. Problems involving racism and class differences provoked Eady to express his energies through writing the two poems using two kinds of emotional atmospheres – empowerment (Money Won’t Change It) and peaceful candidness (A Small Moment).
Works Cited
Eady, Cornelius. (2007). The Autobiography of a Jukebox. New York City, NY: Putnam Adult.
Eady, Cornelius. (2008). Hardheaded Weather. New York City, NY: Putnam Adult.
Jones, Meta. "Understanding the New New Black Poetry." Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society 5.1 (2003): 16-31. Print.
Kryder, John. "Discovering the Inclusive Art of Poetry." The English Journal 96.1 (2006): 34-39. Print.
Thretheway, Natasha. "About Cornelius Eady." Ploughshares 28.1 (2002): 193-197. Print.
