#box henry

I have been reading some great poetry lately and am really enjoying some of the latest award- winning works. I read a poem by a poet named Tyehimba Jess, a Pulitzer- prize winning author. He has a rather interesting life and strongly believes in the triumph of coloured lives. His poem, ‘Freedsong: Dream Song,’ is a very strong testament to his upbringing and childhood, in my opinion. Its brilliance primarily lies in the simplicity and the sincerity with which he drives home the message he is trying to convey.

By the first line I saw myself instantly drawn into the moment and the mood of the poem. For me, the poem is especially relatable as I know that I may be impacted by similar circumstances. I was also proud of the fact that the persona in the poem, despite being a minority, carves out his own path in life and is content with what life offers him at the end.

‘Box Henry’, is a character in the poem who is in a metaphorical ‘box’, owing to the constraints and restraints in his life. Being a man of colour in a world of perversion, discord and bitterness, is its own obstacle in itself, but going beyond such social bulwarks is really a huge hurdle to cross successfully. The persona in the poem, ‘Henry’, is race and gender neutral and can refer to any minority group or any individual, in fact, who has had to cross societal and social hindrances to achieve what they want in life and reach that desired state of Nirvana we are all after.

The words ‘could’, ‘break’, ‘pried open’, and ‘survived’ accentuate the struggles that our persona went through and how he had to work tirelessly and rough it out to prove himself to the world. He doesn’t seem to lose confidence and lets his ray of hope guide him all the way to the end of his eventful and tumultuous journey through life.

The last line of the poem is probably my favourite when the poet writes, ‘Let Box henry grow in every head.’ Box henry are those inspiring individuals who have fought racial and religious barriers to excel and climb up societal, professional and financial ladders. They make the people around them proud of what they do. I feel that this line of the poem re- enforces the message of the poem sevenfold and is what truly makes Jess’ work so memorable and satisfying to read.

The title of the poem, ‘Freedsong’, truly highlights the fact that crossing those societal hindrances, despite the colour of our skin or societal standing we were born into, is what makes us truly free individuals. Sometimes, we let ourselves be bound by those constraints, and that is sometimes what truly holds us back. Perhaps, we make them worthless pretexts for our fears for the future. Crumbling those walls that surround us is perhaps what truly liberates us. The phrase, ‘black face worn, John was happy’, really embodies all that our persona achieves to make him truly happy at the end of the day.

This poem has probably made my week. It pulled at my heartstrings and really inspired me in a unique way. I hope to imbibe the essence of ‘Box Henry’ and become stronger to deal with the challenging times. There is a struggle out there for so many of us in this community and let’s best be prepared for the incoming storm.

You can view the poem here-

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/90219/freedsong-dream-song