Article Title
Reexamining Gwendolyn Brooks’ “A Song In the Front Yard”: A Tri-Layered Interpretation
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Chris Kocela
Abstract
The authors examine Gwendolyn Brooks' "A Song in the Front Yard," and destabilize the notion that the narrator is innocent and naive. The authors use a tri-layered analysis module: the “epidermal” literalist examination illustrates the girl is not as naïve as she may seem, the “dermal” metaphorical analysis of the literalist examination reveals underlying race and class issues, and lastly “subcutaneously” distinguishing the significance of the symbolism in the poem contextualized in the era it is written offers the poem as an indictment of intra-racial segmentation and preliminary modes of integration.
Cover Page Note
We would like to thank Dr. Chris Kocela for his guidance in completing this paper. Also we would like to give a special thank you to Casey McCormick in the writing lab: we couldn't have done it without you!
Recommended Citation
Mandela, I. Blaze; Balter, Sarah; and Stinson, Scott D.
(2011)
"Reexamining Gwendolyn Brooks’ “A Song In the Front Yard”: A Tri-Layered Interpretation,"
Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 2, Article 9.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/caaurj/vol2/iss1/9