Although not explicitly poetry, Claudia Rankine's Citizen An American Lyric has many literary uses of language. Rankine uses multi-dimensional language meant to stimulate the reader's intellect, sense, emotions and imagination, throughout the lyric, specifically in the line:
“It’s as if a wounded Doberman pinscher or a German shepherd has gained the power of speech. And though you back up a few steps, you manage to tel her you have an appointment. You have an appointment? she spits back. Then she pauses. Everything pauses.” (18)
The primary purpose of this passage is to invoke intellectual thought in the reader. Rankine achieves this by demonstrating how her interactions with others cause her to dehumanize herself, using a simile to view herself as a generally feared animal. The use of juxtaposition in “wounded” and “Doberman” prompts the reader to imagine a very exact image of a fierce, violent, harmless animal. Additionally the use of "wounded" invokes an emotional reaction as many people feel protective or wounded animals, specifically dogs. The final part of the passage triggers the senses. The reader can clearly feel all the tension Rankine has built through out the passage, and throughout the book. And the tension starts to dissipate as the scene slows down to a stop as the uncomfortable realization of the woman's assumption settles over the characters and the reader.
Despite only needing to utilize two of the afore mentioned characteristics, Rankine flawlessly executes all four, demonstrating how much thought she has put into Citizen. This dedication is also seen in her choice of title: An American Lyric. A Lyric is a form of poetry expressing the author’s emotions. I believe Rankine used this word to describe her writing instead of simply poetry or even an epic because the entire purpose of this novel is to point out instances of racism and make the audience aware of how often the author is faced with it and how racism’s effects have made her feel. Similarly to Beloved, in Citizen the text makes the audience empathize with African Americans while othering white Americans, which further allows the audience to feel or understand how the speaker and Rankine feel about these instances in her life.
I totally agree with your ideas about the importance of Rankine's language and how it conveys her argument. Her eloquent words that flow from one another provoke thought beyond the initial meaning of her stories. While her writing can be hard to follow if the reader is not completely immersed in the book, every line has depth and something to say about the world that makes the book so much more than just about the individual stories.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with your ideas on the relevance of Rankine's language and how it shows her thesis. Her words make readers think passed what the words say to what they mean. Every line has importance and meaning.
ReplyDelete