Poem Review: Middle Passage By Robert Hayden

Title of the poem: Middle passage

Poet: Robert Hayden

Summary

This poem tells about the struggles and hardships of American slaves transported across the Atlantic. It tells us about the torture the slaves had to face as they were forced to leave in the cargo and were starving themselves rather than giving them good conditions onboard the ship. The poet tells us about how whites made African people suffer through their values and slavery.

About The Poem

This poem is written by Robert Hayden. He addresses many dynamics which were involved in the long back centuries when the whites treated Africans as slaves and wanted to take them to America to leave as their slaves. The midpoint between damn taking to America is called as middle passage. 

And this name is given to the poem as the middle passage. This poem tells us about the pain, suffering, and horror that was faced by the Africans. This poem is graphically and powerfully beautiful.

Personal View

Hayden has given this poem a different meaning. He has made us experience the images and sensory reactions that have taken place at that time. The words like weapons sharks, fear and death. The words used in the poems are written from the perspective of how the white crew members on the ship had given hard times to the black voices. 

In stanza one there are presented 4 different names Jesus, Estrella, Esperanza and Mercy. These words are associated with freedom and peace but they offer none of these things to Africans who were captured and traumatised. 

In this poem, it is shown that the crew members are praying to God to have a safe journey they are singing songs n raising Christian belief. But, they don’t see the Africans as human and therefore are not subjected to Christian beliefs. Show they are treated cruelly and made slaves.