Talk:Limbo (Brathwaite poem)

This article was nominated for deletion on 13 January 2010. The result of the discussion was keep.

Hi does anyone know any other more technical points about the poem?

Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Limbo

This poem tells the story of slavery in a rhyming, rhythmic dance. It is ambitious and complex. There are two narratives running in parallel: • the actions of the dance, and • The history of a person which is being enacted. • Going down and under the limbo stick is likened to the slaves' going down into the hold of the ship, which carries them into slavery. In Roman Catholic tradition, limbo is a place to which the souls of people go, if they are not good enough for heaven or bad enough for hell, between which limbo lies; it has come to mean any unpleasant place, or a state (of mind or body) from which it is difficult to escape.

The story of slavery told in the poem is very easy to follow, yet full of vivid detail and lively action.

The Limbo dance originates from the West Indies and the poem's strong beat reflects this. The word limbo appears as a complete line, it should be spoken slowly, the first syllable extended and both syllables stressed: Lím-bó. While the italics give the refrain (or chorus) which reminds us of the dance, the rest of the poem tells the story enacted in the dance: these lines are beautifully rhythmic, and almost every syllable is stressed, until the very last line, where the rhythm is broken, suggesting the completion of the dance, and the end of the narrative.

This poem is suited to dramatic performance - there is the dancing under the limbo pole (difficult for most Europeans) and the acting out of the voyage into slavery. The poem can be chanted or sung, with a rhythmic accompaniment to bring out the drama in it (percussion, generally, is appropriate but drums, specifically, are ideal: in fact, the text refers to the “drummer” and the “music”).

Can I ask why black is in capitals and brackets? I presume there is some cryptic reason for this, or is it just some idiot highlighting the word black? Tainted Deity 09:40, 7 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are no black words in the poem. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.229.251.184 (talk) 12:21, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]