Interestingly if you read Hughes poetry after Not Without Laughter, or his poetry first, the story comes more fully to life. For example, Chapter 20 was a lackluster chapter about work and order of authority, but it is significant in that it shows the chain of command, the inability to get noticed for the work you do, and the criminal activities of the proletariat bosses. Sandy is a Brass Spitton cleaner at the hotel and I came across this poem after finishing the book and went back and read it. Do you think that this poem correlates well with the chapter, does it add anything to the chapter or take away. Am I just completely way off with my angle?
Brass Spittoons
by Langston Hughes
Clean the spittoons, boy.
Detroit,
Chicago,
Atlantic City,
Palm Beach.
Clean the spittoons.
The steam in hotel kitchens,
And the smoke in hotel lobbies,
And the slime in hotel spittoons:
Part of my life.
Hey, boy!
A nickel,
A dime,
A dollar,
Two dollars a day.
Hey, boy!
A nickel,
A dime,
A dollar,
Two dollars
Buy shoes for the baby.
House rent to pay.
Gin on Saturday,
Church on Sunday.
My God!
Babies and gin and church
And women and Sunday
All mixed with dimes and
Dollars and clean spittoons
And house rent to pay.
Hey, boy!
A bright bowl of brass is beautiful to the Lord.
Bright polished brass like the cymbals
Of King David’s dancers,
Like the wine cups of Solomon.
Hey, boy!
A clean spittoon on the altar of the Lord.
A clean bright spittoon all newly polished—
At least I can offer that.
Com’mere, boy!
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2 comments:
That's a fabulous find ROB!!! I love it!!! It totally is, and now i'm beginning to get an idea about how to teach this book, becuase how could I NOT teach the book without this poem. It adds soo much I love it!!! I feel like Hughes really explored this idea of the spitton and it's GREAT!
yes,it does. He also seems to be speaking about a work ethic,mainly from the prose, that is something that comes from within.Like Hager's pride in her work.
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