Nakia



Anne spencer was born on 2-6-82 and died 7-27-1975. She was born Annie Bethel Bannister in Virgina. Anne was the only child. She had graduated in 1899. She had married Edward Spencer 5-15-1901, she had three children with him. Anne was an librarian,poet,and activist.Annie was discovered by James Weldon Johnson. Many of her poems were destroyed.She had many different types of writing styles. Some of her poems were wrote about African Americans.

**__Letter to My Sister__**

It is dangerous for a woman to defy the gods; To taunt them with the tongue's thin tip, Or strut in the weakness of mere humanity, Or draw a line daring them to cross; The gods own the searing lightning, The drowning waters, tormenting fears And anger of red sins.

Oh, but worse still if you mince timidly-- Dodge this way or that, or kneel or pray, Be kind, or sweat agony drops Or lay your quick body over your feeble young; If you have beauty or none, if celibate Or vowed--the gods are Juggernaut, Passing over. . . over. ..

<span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">This you may do: <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Lock your heart, then, quietly, <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">And lest they peer within, <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Light no lamp when dark comes down <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Raise no shade for sun; <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Breathless must your breath come through <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">If you'd die and dare deny <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The gods their god-like fun. <span style="color: #0bb2e5; font-family: Georgia,serif;">By:Anne Spencer <span style="color: #ff00a1; font-family: Georgia,serif;">I like this poem because it is informing.It tells us what is dangerous for woman. It informs us that sruting with weakness is dangerous

<span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">.**__Black Man o' Mine__**

<span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Black Man o' Mine, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">If the world were your lover, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">It could not give what I give to you, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Or the ocean would yield and you could discover <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Its ages of treasure to hold and to view; <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Could it fill half the measure of my heart's portion. . . <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Just for you living, just for you giving all this devotion, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Black man o' mine.

<span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Black man o' mine, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">As I hush and caress you, close to my heart, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">All your loving is just your needing what is true; <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Then with your passing dark comes my darkest part, <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">For living without your love is only rue. <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Black man o' mine, if the world were your lover <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">It could not give what I give to you <span style="color: #00bbff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">By: Anne Spencer

<span style="color: #ff00a1; font-family: Georgia,serif;">This poem has end rhyme.It a lyrical poem. Anne Spencer is using formal language.

media type="file" key="Nakia_Shavies.mp3"