Woodson's Poetry

 Emma Straus  

21st Century Literature and Time  

Brown Girl Dreaming  

October 2022 

 

 

In Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson, there is a skillfully crafted and detailed narrative that walks through Woodson’s own childhood. In juxtaposition to Aguon's book in the way the readings have been organized, we already know how powerful a personal narrative can be. Childhood memories and stories have been a potent theme throughout the course, so it is something to pay close attention to. I also was struck by the quote, “When there are many worlds / you can choose the one / you walk into each day.” Like Aguon and some of the other authors we’ve discussed, poems as a form of self-expression and protest resurface again in Woodson’s own words.  

Woodson uses free-verse poetry to reflect on her life in the 60s and 70s. The poetry is also used as a source of strength and an act of facing oneself. So much of Woodson’s story is about facing ourselves and facing the racism within ourselves. Like so much of our course material, we see again the ways in which art, literature, and other forms of expression are important- especially in combatting social issues and issues regarding human rights. The quote about stepping into different worlds encapsulates many of Woodson’s feelings. Throughout the book, she feels “trapped between two worlds”, when she is constantly moving from her familiar hometown to New York. Woodson's coming to terms with her life is reflected in her poetry. When she writes about choosing a world to “walk into”, she not only means the way in which she can find home anywhere, but it is also an example of how we can choose what world we live in.  

So much of the course material has been the act of reflecting on the way in which authors, creators, and artists impact the world we live in- and the way in which activists use these mediums as a form of protest. It is interesting to see as well, the thought of transcending the constructs of time and place and choosing where we stand. There are “many worlds”, those that choose to function upon systemic racism and those that choose to combat it. So much of Woodson’s journey is recognizing each “world”. I think it is hopeful to see the world with this lens; not with one but many. Because while there is our world that was built on racism, slavery, and systemic confines that bar many minorities, the idea of imagining our world and future arises again. The theme came up with Aguon but also does here again. Woodson’s work is centered around realizing the prejudice within ourselves in order to create a new, more inclusive “timeline” for ourselves and others. 

 

 

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