Son of Mine - By Kath Walker ... need help with anaylsis

Hi, i need some help with anaylsing this poem.. it would be greatly appreciated if pplz helped =]...

thnxs


Son Of Mine

My son, your troubled eyes search mine,
Puzzled and hurt by colour line.
Your black skin soft as velvet shine;
What can i tell you, son of mine?

I could tell you of heartbreak, hatred blind,
I could tell you of crimes that shame mankind,
Of brutal wrong and deeds malign,
Of rape and murder, son of mine;

But I'll tell instead of brave and fine
When lives of black and white inwine,
And men in brotherhood combine-
This would I tell, you son of mine.

By Kath Walker

It is a fairly open poem, there no extended metaphors here, a mother looking upon her son ponders whether to tell of the evils that racism gives rise to but instead decides to focus upon the positive aspects of white/black partnership.

Metre/rhythem/form are all so straight foward and there are no serious use of elements here to give rise to any more discussion.

The obvious imagery is visual: your troubled eyes search mine, and hatred blind for example.


The second last sentence in the final stanza should read intwine (entwine?).

The colour line, refers to "a line in the sand" you're either white or black, one side or the other. And this separation is confusing and hard for a child to understand. To understand the complexities of discrimination.

As a mother she speaks lovingly and with pride in her son's colour, for her, there is no shame associated with colour.

The son, could be a metaphor for the next generation of Indigenous leaders. Our sons.
She is not in denial of atrocities of the past, but chooses to protect the next generation from racial bitterness.

When the line is non-existent (intwined) then there is unity, brotherhood and all sons, regardless of colour, are brothers and not enemies.