Analysis of Blackberries Poem by Yusef Komunyaaka - Essay Example

The hands of the young boy are metaphorically mentioned as those of a “thief” or a “printer”. (1-2) Komunyaaka captures the interest of the readers by painting the scene with bright and dark colors of blackberries and the interplay of light and darkness during the early morning. By using contrast and similes, he maintains a balance throughout the poem between the various elements of nature and imagination. He also gives a glimpse of the showdown of the poem in the first stanza in the phrase: “garland of thorns”. (6)The boy seems to be enjoying his private activity in the first half of the poem which describes his bittersweet experience of picking blackberries “in rich blackness, hid from daylight” (15).

He seems to be thoroughly enjoying his activity when his private world is abruptly intruded on by a “big blue car” (19). The perspective of the poem and that of the young boy changes from that point onwards and he suddenly becomes aware of his low social class. The focus of the poem shifts from his experience to his social status, which brings forth a very important social issue. Being ridiculed by children of his age must be a hard thing to take for that young boy who suddenly becomes aware of his low social class.

The boy’s observation about the children who smirked at him is also important. He notices that they are of the same age group as himself but riding in a “big blue car” (19) in its “wide back seat” (22). The effect of realizing the huge difference in their respective social classes is deepened by the burning sensation in his fingers due to picking blackberries. Thus this poem is about the bittersweet experiences of life of a young boy who is in “limbo between worlds” (18): his private little world surrounded by blackberries, his dog; and his imaginative world which he dreams about while picking and eating berries; and the cold world in which he breathes and puts up with the reality.

The poem takes the readers through a smooth transition between his worlds with its continuity. The “big blue car” abruptly brings the harsh realities of life to him, when the kids of his age, riding in that car smirk at him. Everything changes from that point onwards and the scene of picking blackberries vanishes in the background. The poet describes the hurtful emotional state of the young boy whose fingers are “burning with thorns” (24). Everything else, like the taste, the color, the smell, and the overall experience of picking blackberries vanishes away in an instant as the feeling of hurt and pain rushes in.