Jasmine Denise Gibbons |
Name: Jasmine D. Gibbons
School: Rust College Major: English/Liberal Arts Mentor: Dr. Ethel Young-Minor Expected Graduation Date: April 2009 Organizations & Honors:
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ABSTRACT
"Particular Pains, Particular Sufferings": Visions of Black Southern Women in the Poetry of Natasha Trethewey
| Natasha Trethewey, winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in poetry, uses unique devices to formulate her poetry. The imagery Trethewey uses allows the reader to understand the subjects of her poem and their experiences. Trethewey’s poems often contain fragments of Black female history that have been left out of traditional discussions of Black Southern history. Further, Trethewey’s writing evidences a thirst for a reconnection with the past and aims towards better understanding the current socio-political positioning of Black Southern women. Her collection, Domestic Work, uses diverse voices to relay the untold stories of Black mothers, grandmothers, and aunts; readers are therefore able to better understand what she addresses as the "particular pains" and "particular sufferings" of her female ancestry. This paper will explore the impact Natasha Trethewey has made on Black Southern poetry; giving voice to voiceless Black Southern women. |