An Agony. As Now. (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Amiri Baraka
- First Published: 1964
- Type of Work: Poem
- Genres: Poetry
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Race, Poetry or poets, Resurrection, Colors, Shells
In “An Agony. As Now,” from The Dead Lecturer (1964), Baraka describes in sensuous phrases his emotional and spiritual paralysis. The title of this poetry collection is a reference to the attempted suicide of the speaker. His sense of dissociation from the self who hates him is a normal part of the recovery process; however, Baraka adds another level of meaning. The inverted symbolism of white implies that assimilation, voluntary or involuntary, is a significant factor of the imprisonment.
Openings in the mask allow the persona to see, but the metal prevents any human...
[The entire page is 542 words long]
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