The Poetry of Ai (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Florence Anthony
- First Published: 1972
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Genres: Poetry
- Subjects: Sex or sexuality, Suicide, Murder or homicide, Prostitution or prostitutes, Emotions, Violence, Pain, Survivalism
Few American poets have achieved the establishment of such a distinct voice as has Ai, and in less than twenty years. Some commentators on American poetry believe her pseudonym to be the sound of a cry, such as those uttered by many of her personae; critic Hayden Carruth suggests that her name means “love” in Japanese (Ai has indeed described herself as one-half Japanese). In one important sense, she does not fall within the canon of traditional African American writers. Her subjects transcend their concerns, and her style, as it has developed, incorporates a flat, almost...
[The entire page is 2479 words long]
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