Cowper’s poem gives a sort of teasing tone,
such as when saying “curious assortment of dainty regales” (line 11). In other
words, sweet talking “negroes” more than likely with false promises in order to
have them board the ship. Then adorning “fine chains around the neck” (line 13)
and using “a cat with nine tails”, a whip, perhaps to force slaves into
submission.
Barbauld says in her poem, “Forced her averted
eyes his stripes to scan/Beneath the bloody scourge laid bare the man” (line
7-8). The “stripes”, or opened wounds caused by the lash, would be gruesome,
enough to make Barbauld turn away.
What is interesting about Cowper’s poem
however, is how he writes “which nobody can deny” after each and every verse.
As if saying “I cannot make this up”. The pictures painted throughout the poem,
through every stanza, give an insight as to what happened on slave ships. Such
as line 30 through 34, seeing the slaves lying on their back in the deck below.
And also, part of Cowper’s poem, is the
various tools or methods used on slaves to weaken and have them submit. Such as
“supple-jack” and “rat-tan” (line 15), which were used as switches or canes;
also “padlocks and bolts, and screws fir the thumbs” (line 19), which would be
like shackles tightening around their skin until they bled; and finally, “victuals
withdraws” (line 23) or starvation.
What Cowper does is vividly depict the horrors
and atrocity that went on in these ships, and although sounding mocking or
playful with the rhyming scheme and the consistent song-like “which nobody can
deny”, it does not denote the fact these were events and tools and methods
frequently used on slaves.
At first I was very confused with this because of the dark imagery in this poem/song while being told so lightheartedly. It made me wonder why he wrote about such a topic in this manner. Then I thought about what impact this could have had at the time if children or anyone else innocent to the truth of the subject matter here started singing this in public. It felt like it would then become this sort of awakening to this horrible act in history that was being committed and cause for some sort of action. After looking at the poem this way, I found it quite clever even if it did not end up working the way Cowper intended.
ReplyDeleteLike we discussed in class on Tuesday, there is something very uncomfortable and sinister in pairing horrific actions with childish rhyme of song. I mostly agree with your reasoning on why he chose to write it in this way. I also think that the rhyming song would easily get stuck in your head. This would make the content a lot harder to ignore or dismiss. I didn't take the "which nobody can deny" as a way of saying I can't make this stuff up. I read it as saying that this is stuff that is happening right now and no one can dispute the facts. I think it's condemning the public through a teasing verse on their persistent ignorance or disregard on what is happening.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the purpose of making the poem sing-songy is to normalize the slave trade and the horrors of slavery. By writing the poem from what seems to be a child's perspective, the horrors are made to be less than horrible, and seem normal. The perspective of a child changes the entirety of the poem and its meaning. Instead of this seeming as horrible as it actually is, it makes the trade a usual aspect of life, typical in a sense.
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