History and poetry are very much related and create one another. Poetry in a way can rewrite history, and other ways it can tell what most will call the "truest" side of history. Poets for centuries have used poetry to tell the facts and secrets that American history has tried to hide. Poetry by slaves, immigrants, serial killers, Pulitzer-prize winners, and more have all told their perspective on history and how what is written in books is not always the politically correct history.

In the poem "Say Something About Child's Play" by Chris Abani you can read into much history. That is one of the great things about poetry, whenever it is referring to history or hinting towards history it is always applicable to any time period because history repeats itself...unfortunately. The poem is about a little boy who is threatened by soldier that his arm and his leg will be cut off. The soldier asks the boy which arm and leg does he prefer and logically like any sane person would say, the boy says neither, but if the losing of a limb does take place the boy gives him not only an answer, but a response that explains what he'll do when the limb is cut off. In the last stanza the boy states directly to take his right eye but not his left so he'll have at least one eye to see God... In many wars this world has had, there have been an immense focus on degrading not only the enemy, but anything that may represent the enemy as well. In many guerilla warfare women of the enemy will be raped and their children will be killed. Though in this poem it displays something you would not expect out of a child; courage and content. The little boy in this poem was courageous and content with the fact that he was losing a limb. not fearful and hesitant. The poem becomes almost biblical as the little boy says a statement about God, showing that what ever trials and tribulations he may go through, he knows that he will be going to heaven, and that the soldier will not. History may have helped create this poem because of how it is written and the message it is portraying. To be courageous in the eye of fear and death, and to be faithful in the power of God.

Another poem that caught my eye was June Jordan's "Racial Profile #2". This poem is definite and carries much strength in it's words. In my perspective June is saying please don't bring the Jamaica out of me due to your racism and prejudice against my kind. Don't bring out the terror and distress my people have been through. The Jamaica in her is not only the spices in the food with exotic ingredients, the Jamaica in her is both the good and the bad. The violent cradle for my temper/Tantrum reggae and banana basic no way/Blues in me. Jamaica had been colonized by both Spaniards and the British which may take in account for the dialect of their language, but the history that goes along with Jamaica is much explained in this poem. Me no repent/ Me no relent. Jamaica did not gain independence from Britain until 1962, but much damage economically had already been done to the country. So think of the anger, anguish, happiness, sorrow, and pride that a Jamaican represents is all fulfilled within this poem. History is poetry and poetry is history, they overlap in creating each other. Both are just experiences written down from one perspective at a time.

-Dorothy