What really struck me about the Angel Island poems was the anger the poets expressed. I guess that I expected them to be laments for their lost countries or loved ones, but the poets engage with the unjust laws that discriminated against them. "America has power, but not justice" one poet writes. The government uses that power to subjugate rather than welcome. Another remarks, "As long as I am imprisoned, how can I dare to strive for supremacy?/ An advantageous position for revenge will surely come one day." The use of the word "supremacy" is interesting here, given the policies of white supremacy of the time. This unknown poet valued himself while the government, unfortunately, did not. These poets are plotting revenge against the racist government that imprisoned them unjustifiably. Who could blame them? I found this anger empowering, in a way, because victims of oppression should fight their oppressors to the best of their abilities, even if it is only through writing.
Do you think that the anger expressed is more powerful than the woe or the other way around? Why?
I think that the anger is more powerful than the woe because anger can be converted into vengence. One of the poets states that "an advantageous position for revenge will surely come one day". Although the desire for revenge usually produces negative results, in this circumstance I am under the impression that vengence would mean they become successful despite the limiting expectations of Americans. A sense of woe would be less likely to produce these results.
ReplyDeleteWoe and anger both generate a profound effect but in very different ways. I believe the anger is more striking than anything. As with Maya, I in no way expected the hostile, enraged tone present in some of the poems; however, their circumstance certainly gave way to such emotions. This sense of resentment and desire for revenge in a way shows the power of the imprisoned as "the dragon out of water is humiliated by ants". Anger works by striking the reader and instilling a sense of power and supremacy in different circumstances. On the other end of the spectrum, woe works by tugging at the heart strings. Woe inspires softer, more sympathetic emotions. When I picture woe, I think of representations of the Holocaust. In fact, the images of woe can lead to emotions of anger, regret, appreciation, etc. Therefore, woe takes a more indirect route in its power. In the Angel Island Poems, I believe our expectations were woe which ultimately enhanced the effect of the anger. However, the circumstances of the Island begin with woe.
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