Significance of "Dark Symphony"

Dark symphony is arguably Tolson's best work and one many people can feel a connection to because it covers more ground than just being a modernist poem, or a poem about racial inequality. It is a poem celebrating the accomplishments of the African race throughout history and into the modern era in a musical way that would make it pleasing to anyone that enjoys poetry. Each section of the poem is broken up into parts like most symphonic music starting with part 1 Allegro Moderato which means quick but not overly fast, part 2 Lento Grave means extremely slow, Part 3 Andante Sostenuto which means a slow sustained tempo, Part 4 Tempo Primo which means starting tempo, Part 5 Larghetto which means slow but not overly slow, and part 6 Tempo di Marcia which means a marching tempo. Knowing the musical terms of Dark Symphony is important in understanding the significance in this piece because each title gives us a pace and mindset for each part of the symphony.

Another importance to this poem is it's structure and length as said by Farnsworth of World Literature Today, "He alternates rhyme with blank-verse sections. This poem is the longest that he had written to this time and is an example of the increasing lengthiness of the major poems he will write hereafter" (395), the poem itself is longer because it expresses a lot history and is written in a way to keep it formal as well as informal in a way that is musically accurate. Another way to see Dark symphony is in the way Cansler describes Tolson's work, "Tolson chose to be a negro, but he also chose to work in a poetic form and tradition most effective for him" (Cansler, 115), we see that Tolson in Dark Symphony blends all mentioned above in a western style while still retaining a distinct African American poet. The historical aspect of this poem is most heavily seen in parts 1 through 3 giving us such lines as in part 1, "Waifs of the auction block,/Men blackand strong/The juggernauts of despotism withstood,/Loin-girt with faith that worms/Equate the wrong/And dust is purged to create brotherhood" (1371) which shows us the middle passage and the auction of slaves and how it became a unifying experience for Africans going on into the brutal labor and hardship of slavery in part 3, and ending with the questioning of white Americans and how Tolson feels white culture tries to forget the shameful past that was slavery as if it never happened at all.

Parts 4 through 6 slowly ramps up in intensity as each title suggests beginning with Tolson and his concept of a New Negro in part 4, "The New Negro strides upon the continent/ In seven-league boots.../ The New Negro..." (1372), in short the New Negro described by Tolson is someone to be admired and looked upon as the equal if not greater than any other race of people. He goes on to describe the accomplishments of the Old Negro and the New Negro, which is a race to be appreciated and feared for its power. The poem leaves us with the New Negro and how he/she will shape the world in the future as much as any other race.

The significance of this text is only understood when you break it down and look at each piece of the Symphony. There are myths even to this day that Africans have no history, which Tolson has clearly busted. Africans have been apart of almost every great civilization in some form or another and are responsible for the creation of many of the world’s greatest physical accomplishments and many accomplishments to come in the future.

works cited

Cansler, Ronald Lee. ""The White and Not-White Dichotomy" of  Melvin B. Tolson's Poetry." Negro 
American Literature Forum 7.4 (1973): 115-18. JSTOR. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.

Tolson Jr., Melvin B. "The Poetry Of Melvin B. Tolson (1898-1966)." World Literature Today 64.3 (1990): 395. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography  

Cansler, Ronald Lee. ""The White and Not-White Dichotomy" of  Melvin B. Tolson's Poetry." Negro American Literature Forum 7.4 (1973): 115-18. JSTOR. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. This source is written about Melvin B. Tolson’s writing, especially “Dark Symphony.” The author, Ronald Cansler, looks into the reasons for different races either reading or accepting Tolson’s work based on style and content. This source can be used to talk about the tendencies and plots of Tolson’s work and their effect on readers.

Jones Jr., Robert B. "MELVIN B. TOLSON, 1898-1966: Plain Talk And Poetic Prophecy (Book)." American Literature 57.2 (1985): 341. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Mar. 2014. This source is an article from the magazine American Literature. The author Robert Jones Jr. talks about the literary works that are modernist and names Tolson as an important modernist writer. He also defines modernist poem writing as having a lot of current society’s knowledge and put it together creatively. This source can be used to define modernist writing and prove Tolson as an important modern poet.  

Melvin B. Tolson by Joy Flasch. Review by: Virginia Simmons Nyabongo. Books Abroad, Vol. 47, No. 4 (Autumn, 1973), p. 771. This source is a summary of a full length book written on the poetry of Melvin B. Tolson. It mentions how Tolson’s modern, unseen techniques is a manipulation of traditional styles. It also says how Tolson has mastered “three s’s” which are sight, sense, and sound. This source can be used to elaborate on Tolson’s style and command of the English language as a way to incite feelings.

Nielsen, Aldon L. Melvin B. Tolson and the Deterriorialization of Modernism 26.2 (1992): 241-55. JSTOR. Web. 7 Mar. 2014. This source is an article out of the African American Review. In this article literary critic, Aldon Nielsen, comments on the writing of Melvin B. Tolson and Fredrick Douglass. He analyzes their style and explores the way the two writers “write between the lines.” This source can be used to elaborate on the modernist style of Melvin B Tolson and highlight the original techniques he created.

"Nothing Educates Us like a Shock": The Integrated Rhetoric of Melvin B. Tolson. David Gold. College Composition and Communication, Vol. 55, No. 2 (Dec., 2003), pp. 226-253. This source is an article by David Gold that details the life of Melvin B. Tolson as not only a poet but a civil rights activist and teacher. This source will work well to prove how Tolson is multifaceted and was constantly working to improve the world in a variety of ways.

Schultz, Kathy Lou. "To Save And Destroy: Melvin B. Tolson, Langston Hughes, And Theories Of The Archive." Contemporary Literature 52.1 (2011): 108-145. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Mar. 2014. This source is an article from Contemporary Literature that stresses the importance of archiving the past in a way that is accessible to all. The author, Ms. Schultz, feels that the works of Melvin B. Tolson as well as Langston Hughes help to archive the history of the United States and comment on important topics in history through their writing. This source can be used to help prove Tolson as a protest writer. Also it can help to support the fact that Tolson’s writing was beneficial to the advancement and enemy to the digression of the African American race.   

Taylor, John. "Melvin Tolson." Antioch Review 69.4 (2011): 716-721. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 May 2014. This source is an essay that goes into the identity of Melvin B. Tolson. The author, John Taylor, acknowledges that Tolson looked up to European culture and literature which was hard while also being an African American poet. Taylor believes Tolson was able to balance both by learning and reading the European literature while also helping his race to advance. This source could be used to talk about how Tolson may have been torn between these two identities.   

Tolson Jr., Melvin B. "The Poetry Of Melvin B. Tolson (1898-1966)." World Literature Today 64.3 (1990): 395. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. This source is somewhat of a biography of Melvin B. Tolson and his writing focusing on “Dark Symphony.” This source goes deep into the language and dialect used in “Dark Symphony.” The author points out the strong parts of the poem that have the most powerful language. Also the rhythm of the poem is explored. This source will be good for writing about Tolson’s language and dialect as well as why he writes in this way.   

Tolson, Melvin B. “Dark Symphony." 2004. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Second ed. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2004. 1371-1374. Print. This is the primary source or the actual writing of Melvin B. Tolson as in “Dark Symphony.” This is going to be used to talk about the specific quotations in the work. This will be the basis for the paper.   

Contemporary Event

                It’s still hard to believe that in this day and age there is still racism.  In this case its crazy to think that a NBA owner is the person how is racist. Donald Sterling, the owner of the L.A. Clippers is being called a racist after conversation that he had with his girlfriend.  In 2013, the percentage of African American basketball players was 76.3 percent. So in a league with predominantly African American, of course there was an uproar of player, fans, owners, and the rest of the NBA.

                Reports surfaced on April 27, 2014 of a conversation between Donald Sterling and his girlfriend V. Stiviano where Donald Sterling didn’t like that Stiviano had pictures with African Americans on her Instagram. During their conversation, Donald Sterling expressed that he didn’t like Stiviano public displaying with African Americans.  At one point in the conversation, Donald said “The little I ask you is not to promote it on that and not to bring them to my games”. When the player of the L.A. Clippers found that out they wanted to boycott their playoff game against the Golden State Warriors but they threw their warm-ups at center court and wore their jerseys instead. The Owner of the Warriors asked fans to boycott the game as well.

                The NBA’s Commissioner Adam Silver acted swiftly and banned Sterling for life and handed him a 2.5 million fine. Silver was rewarded with praise from around the league and the fans. Owners and players all agree the Silver did the right thing. Silver said that he’s going to do “everything in his power” to get the board to force Sterling to sell team.

                In the third section of Dark Symphony called “Andante Sostenuto”, Melvin B. Tolson “Our Human Rights Denied?” (1372) Donald Sterling is basically denying African Americans to come to a NBA game. Sterling was also denying the right to allow Stiviano to bring African Americans. At the end of poem Tolson says “with the people of the world, We advance”. (1374) This is true because after seeing how everyone reacted to what Sterling has said, everyone came together for one goal and that was to get Donald Sterling out of the NBA. When the reports first surfaced, owners and teams all protested and all wore the L.A. Clippers logo to show support and were also willing to boycott games until something was done. When Adam Silver handed out Sterling’s punishment everyone believed that was the right punishment.

                When this story hit the media, it spread like wild fire. People all over especially the L.A. Clipper’s players really took offense to what Donald Sterling had said to V. Stiviano. It’s a shame that in 2014 there is still racism and a public Figure like Sterling made comments about African Americans. People like Donald Sterling must realize that racism gets you nowhere and for human kind to move forward, you have to put small issues like race and gender behind you.  But it’s nice to see when comes to racial issues, people, no matter race come together for the greater cause and hopefully one day racism will no longer exist in the world and like Melvin B. Tolson said “We advance”

Works Cited

Botelho, Greg, Matt Smith, and Ashley Fantz. "NBA commissioner bans Clippers owner Sterling, pushes to 'force a sale' of team." CNN U.S. CNN, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/us/clippers-sterling-scandal/>.

Chalabi, Mona. "Three Leagues, 92 Teams And One Black Principal Owner." FiveThirtyEight. ESPN, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. <http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/diversity-in-the-nba-the-nfl-and-mlb/>.

Is Melvin B. Tolson an important literary artist?

            Melvin B. Tolson is arguably one of the most influential poets of not only his time, but of literary history all together. His unique style of writing has made him one of the most interesting yet underrated African American poets in. His importance in regards to the advancement of black literature and the black community as a whole is second to none. Tolson always had his share of support from many of the most well known poets of his time. Ronald Lee Cansler in his work “The White and not- White Dichotomy” points out this support when stating, “At each publication Tolson never lacked one or two vocal supporters in the ranks of poets and critics, such powerful voices as Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Theodore Roethke, John Ciardi, and Allen Tate” (Cansler 115). This support from many of the most well known writers of his time indicates that Tolsons work was very influential and important in the time period.

            Tolsons unique style of writing creates an importance in itself. No poet had ever used such a style in this time period. Tolson was viewed as both a modern and black poet, which was unheard of at the time of his poetry. Cansler sites Emanual and Gross in saying that this form of writing is called “poetic evolution”. Cansler writes, “As Emanuel and Gross record, “Tolson’s poetic evolution moves from erudition and lyricism of Rendezvous with America, through the modernist complexities of the Libretto, to the brilliant versatilities of Harlem Gallery” (Cansler 115). Emanuel and Gross are describing the immense overall knowledge Tolson possessed to be able to write in such versatility, a characteristic that is very rare for a writer.

            A telling factor in answering the question of if a writer was looked at as an important and respected figure in history is the opinion of other great writers in history. Cansler quotes William Carlos Williams’s in reference to what he thinks poetry worth recognition entails. He quotes Williams saying:

“Well… I would say that poetry is language charged with emotion. It’s words, rhythmically organized… A poem is a complete little universe. It exists separately. Any poem that has worth expresses the whole life of the poet. It gives a view of what the poet is” (Cansler 117).

Cansler takes Williams description of what worthy poetry is and compares it to Tolson’s work and connects many similarities. Cansler compares when he writes, “This is a very comfortable description of Tolson, his work in general, and Harlem Gallery in particular. The feeling is there; the rhythmically organized words are present…. The poem fits William’s definition of “worth” in expressing the poets totality of life and experience.” (Cansler 117-118). Cansler effectively takes the description of a great writer and connects it to Tolsons work.

            A great writer is able to touch his audience in a way that makes them feel as if he were talking to them specifically. Tolson was a modernist poet who used his poems to motivate his audience towards a revolutionary goal. Kathy Lou Schultz in her work “To Save and Destroy: Melvin B. Tolson, Langston Hughes, and the theories of the Archive” quotes biographer Robert M. Farnsworth saying in regards to Tolsons poetry, “the strong assertion that Tolson makes for black Americans being a part of a national American identity from its beginning” (Schultz 116). Tolson speaks to his fellow black Americans and creates a strong argument for them to be included to a greater extent in the nations identity.  A great example of this is expressed in Tolson’s piece “Dark Symphony” when he creates a rally cry for all of his fellow black Americans. Tolson writes:

            “The New Negro

             Breaks the icons of his detractors,

             Wipes out the conspiracy of silence,

             Speaks to his America:

            “My history-moulding ancestors

            Planted the first crops of wheat on these shores,

            Built ships to conquer the seven seas,

            Erected the Cotton Empire,

            Flung railroads across a hemisphere,

            Disemboweled the earth’s iron and coal,

            Tunneled the mountains and bridged rivers,

            Harvested the grain and hewed forests,

            Sentineled the Thirteen Colonies,

            Unfurled Old Glory at the North Pole,

            Fought a hundred battles for the Republic.” (Tolson lines 66-80)

In bringing all these points to life in a poem, Tolson creates a piece that almost all of his target audience can relate too.

            Melvin B. Tolson is one of the most important and influential poets in history. Famous critics and writers alike recognize him as an exceptional writer. He produced poetry that related to his target audience and also writing that served great importance in the Black Arts Movement. His importance in contribution to the Black Arts Movement along with his unique way of writing makes him one of the most interesting and researched writers of all time.

Works Cited

Cansler, Ronald Lee. ""The White and Not-White Dichotomy" of Melvin B. Tolson's

            Poetry." Negro American Literature Forum 7.4 (1973): 115-18. JSTOR. Web. 30

            Apr. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3041437?ref=search-

            gateway:dadbc0443ab126a8b82167f270ec2c69>.

Schultz, Kathy Lou. "To Save and Destroy: Melvin B. Tolson, Langston Hughes, and

            Theories of the Archive." Contemporary Literature 52.1 (2011): 108-45. Print.

Tolson, Melvin B. Dark Symphony. The Norton Anthology of African American

            Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates and Nellie Y. MacKay. New York: Norton,

            1997. 1373-374. Print.