What is the tone in the poem slam dunk and hook?
In “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,” Komunyakaa depicts a group of African American youth engaged in a street basketball game, with undercurrents of anger, grief, danger, and the almost mystical beauty of movement.
What is the tone in facing it?
Facing It is a poem that deals with the personal angst of the speaker, a Vietnam veteran, who is visiting the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. The black wall of the memorial evokes all kinds of war-torn images from the violent past which are full of agony and pain.
What is the metaphor in slam dunk and hook?
On the first line of the poem Yusef Komunyakaa says “Fast break. Lay-ups. With mercury’s insignia on our sneakers.” in this line he talks about the sneakers they were while using metaphor that compares the players of this game to a mythological creatures and he expresses them as an immoral or divine.
When was slam dunk and hook written?
1991
Overview. “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” is a poem by Yusef Komunyakaa, first published in 1991 in the journal Callaloo and appearing again in Komunyakaa’s 1992 collection Magic City.
What is the poem fast break by Edward Hirsch about?
While there is no question that this poem is “about” love of the game of basketball, it seems to be playing for bigger stakes. The poem has a dedication, “In Memory of Dennis Turner, 1946-1984” and it focuses on a play that is, as its name states: “fast.” Ask students to reflect on the race against time in this poem.
What is a clouded reflection?
The speaker describes his “clouded reflection” as a “bird of prey,” a bird that hunts and feeds on larger animals. This comparison suggests the speaker views his reflection as dangerous and/or threatening. The speaker describes his “clouded reflection” as a “bird of prey,” a bird that hunts and feeds on larger animals.
What is the speaker facing in the poem facing it?
“Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa speaks of one man’s reaction to seeing the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the memories brought up by its reflective, granite surface. The poem begins with the speaker facing the black granite wall of the memorial.
Who wrote the poem slam dunk and hook?
Yusef Komunyakaa
Slam, Dunk, & Hook by Yusef Komunyakaa | Poetry Foundation.
What is a Fast Break in basketball?
introducing the concept of “fast break” basketball, in which the offensive team rushes the ball upcourt hoping to get a good shot before the defense can get set.
What kind of poem is facing it?
‘Facing It’ by Yusef Komunyakaa is a 31 line poem that does not adhere to any particular rhyme scheme or strictly metered pattern. Komunyakaa has composed this poem by alternating between short choppy lines and longer, drawn out phrases. Both of these styles of writing utilize enjambment.
What does Yusef Komunyakaa mean by Slam Dunk and hook?
Animal Ethics and the Human-Android Distinction » Yusef Komunyakaa raises the seemingly physical game of basketball high on a pedestal in his poem “Slam, Dunk, & Hook.” With this he is able to present himself as somehow divine and unworldly since he is involved in this seemingly important sport.
When did Komunyakaa write Slam Dunk and hook?
“Slam, Dunk, & Hook” was first published in the Summer 1991 issue of the journal Callaloo. The poem was later included in Komunyakaa’s 1992 collection, Magic City, and again in the 2001 collection, Pleasure Dome: New and Collected Poems.
What are the formal elements of the poem Slam Dunk and hook?
In “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” by Yusef Kommunyakaa, the formal elements and figures of speech transform a simple game of basketball into an epic and artistic experience. The formal elements of poetry such as meter, enjambment, personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, and alliteration all collaborate to set an artistic and epic tone for the poem.
What poetic elements does Komunyakaa use in “Slam Dunk&hook”?
Another poetic element that Komunyakaa uses to glorify his characters in “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” is the allusion he uses in the opening of his poem. He writes, “Mercury’s insignia on our sneakers,” which references the Greek mythological god Mercury while also describing the popular basketball shoe brand Nike.