Summary+of+Poems

=**Summary**=

//A Black Man Talks of Reaping//

In Bontemps poem he paints a picture of slaves toiling away in their owner's fields, sowing seeds. Once the seeds have grown into produce they are only allowed to take what they can grab. It is clear in this poem that the slaves were treated unfairly since they were the ones to do all the work and were left with little from the harvest. The slaves do not get paid and barely take enough to feed themselves. The bitter fruit described at the end tells how the children's dreams of the future are bitter because they have not yet experienced life on their own, like the speaker has.

//Storm Ending//

Toomer describes a thunder storm using positive imagery. The positive images used to describe the ending of a storm are a metaphor for the ending of slavery. That imagery describes thunder like gorgeous, full-lipped flowers blossoming and "dripping rain like golden honey". These full-lipped flowers are "bitten by the sun" and are "bleeding rain." It draws you in and leads you to appreciate the beauty of a the golden sun coming out at the end of a storm. In the final sentence, more positive imagery is used to describe feelings. "The sweet earth flying from the thunder" describes an exhilaration one would feel if flying. Overall, it paints a beautiful moment and the happiness that was felt at the time.