"The Whipping" by Robert Hayden
Hayden, Robert. "The Whipping." Introduction to Poetry. 'Ed'. X.J. Kennedy. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007.
"The old woman across the way
is whipping the boy again
and shouting to the neighborhood
her goodness and his wrongs."
"The Whipping" by Robert Hayden uses imagery to show how a child abuser can consider herself to be the child's owner because of the power she wields over that child. The word "whipping" (line 2) is primarily used when discussing the horrors of slavery, and also in reference to the training of horses and other animals. Because of these disgusting and painful acts performed on slaves and animals by their "owners", the word "whipping"(line 2) has extremely negative connotations attached to it. The paradox in this poem can be found in line 4, when the old woman who is abusing the boy, is screaming at him and telling him he is bad and that she is good, which is clearly contrary because she is an adult beating a young boy with a stick. The meter of this poem is iambic trimeter, which is effective because the reader focuses on main words like, "woman," "whipping," "boy," "shouting," "goodness," and "wrongs." (lines 1-4)
4 comments:
I had never even heard of "The Whipping" before I read this post. I read it instantly and a few times over; I was so drawn to it. Anyways, I think that this poem is just full of such extreme imagery and violent words and I completely agree with your analysis of it. Especially line 4 of the poem (which you mentioned the paradox on). This poem is full of such vivid and violent details that it was easy for me to just imagine it happening right in front of me. I think it's amazing how such a short poem can have such an impact on one person. And I also agree on your explanation of the word "whipping" and how we usually see it used in reference to slavery or animal training, but hardly ever used when referring to the beating of a child. However, there was one line of the poem that I didn't quite understand and that was line 18. Do you know who the speaker of this poem is and who doesn't he/she love anymore??
I believe in lines 3-4, where you stated that the mother is yelling at the boy, that she may not be yelling at all--vocally that is. I think the "shouting" in question here, may just be the act of whipping the boy. She's "shouting to the neighborhood"(3) in the way that neighbors and onlookers would form their own opinions on the woman and child, and whether he deserved it or not.
Although this poem could be a social commentary on the poor treatment of blacks by whites, for Hayden was an advocate of black rights,I believe it could also be referring to someone looking back on an abusive childhood he experinced. I think the "shouting to the neighborhood" (line 3) perhaps refers to the fact that everyone within the community knew what was going on, but choose to do nothing about it."His tears are rainy weather/
to woundlike memories" (lines 11 and 12) stood out to me the most, for they convey a childlike sadness and imply the future pyschological damage the child will probably face with the last two words. This poem is written in such a way that it is open to both specific and more historical types of abuses.
When I first read this poem, I asked myself,"Why is this woman striking this boy?" Maybe because he did something wrong and she is physically abusing him, or maybe she is mad and is mentally abusing him. The speaker says that when the old woman stopped whipping him, she sat against a tree "avenged in part for lifelong hidings / she has had to bear"(lines 22-23). Perhaps, the old woman is the boys grandmother who takes care of him because his parents died. She could be whipping him emotionally for the struggles she has had to overcome due to her taking him in.
Post a Comment