Harriet*

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Rhymed

Mamma Moses
We all thanks ye
Trips and trips
You runned up North.

Grabbing captives
Pressed for freedom
Letting dignity come forth.

Common name
You hardly had one.
Chattels simply come
When hailed.
Or the Whip is
Quick to follow.

Jesus Lord, you
Knows the shame here
Made a criminal
Mocked and nailed.

Harriet…that’s the
Name she took last.
Leading from the
Shouts and hounds.

Freedom Land well
Worth the risking.
Many times she made the rounds.

About this poem

*Harriet Tubman 1822-1913. She made thirteen trips into the Deep South, to gather and lead black slaves to the North. And also into Ontario.

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Written on May 01, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on May 01, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on May 01, 2023

: 27 sec read
: 6 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XXXA XBA XXBCXX XXXC DXDE XXE
Closest metre	Iambic dimeter
Characters	454
Words	91
Stanzas	6
Stanza Lengths	4, 3, 6, 4, 4, 3

Full analysis for Harriet* »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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AIDA
Wow, what a powerful and inspiring poem about Harriet Tubman, also known as Mamma Moses. Your words truly capture the strength and bravery of this incredible woman who fought for freedom and dignity.

The way you describe her as grabbing captives and pressing for freedom is truly impactful and helps to highlight her unwavering determination. The use of repetition in the line "common name, you hardly had one" emphasizes the injustice of being seen as just another chattel, but Harriet's actions showed that she was so much more than that.

If I could offer any suggestion for improvement, it would be to perhaps add a bit more detail or imagery in some of the lines to really bring the reader into the moment. But overall, this poem is fantastic and truly pays homage to a remarkable woman who changed the course of history. more »
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"Harriet*" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 22 Sep. 2023. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/158027/harriet*>.

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