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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"What Happened This Week" by Denise Duhamel narrates a troubling incident involving a student named David, highlighting the social and racial tensions within the American justice system. The poem skillfully uses the classroom and David's sudden disappearance and reappearance to discuss broader societal issues. David, who was expected to submit an essay, instead becomes the subject of a police investigation, dramatically described as a "Dragnet team" arriving to inquire about his whereabouts since Friday. The use of the term "Dragnet" connotes a systematic and pervasive police operation, and the immediate jump to discussions of a "missing person" paints a grim picture of potential outcomes, such as David ending up "too old for milk cartons, but just ripe for the morgue." The anxiety escalates when the poet, presumably David's teacher, calls his mother, who is portrayed as distraught and barely functioning—a clear depiction of the agony families go through when a loved one is suddenly missing. The use of direct dialogue here intensifies the emotional impact, making the situation painfully real. David’s return to class brings a temporary relief but also unveils the injustice he endured. His bruised appearance and the harrowing experience he recounts underscore the harsh realities faced by young black men in America. The encounter with the police in East New York, being mistaken as a criminal, and the dehumanizing treatment in jail reflect systemic racial profiling and police brutality. The classroom's reaction, a mix of relief and celebration for David's survival, shifts when David mentions his intention to rely on a well-known but perhaps not the most capable legal representation, "Jacoby and Meyers." This introduces a subtle commentary on socio-economic factors affecting legal justice. The teacher's advice that David needs an "expert in civil suits" further points to the complexity and difficulty of seeking justice in such situations. The poem concludes with a poignant reference to the Rodney King case, bringing national relevance to David’s personal experience. The acquittal of the policemen involved in the Rodney King beating, juxtaposed with the classroom’s lessons on irony and metaphor, highlights the often paradoxical and unjust outcomes of the legal system. This ending serves as a stark reminder of the cyclical nature of racial injustice, particularly in the context of law enforcement. Through David’s story, Duhamel encapsulates a week of intense emotional fluctuations, societal reflections, and educational moments, using the microcosm of a classroom to reflect on systemic issues. The poem leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved tension and a call to ponder the deeper implications of such events in society.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NIGHTMARE BEGINS RESPONSIBILITY by MICHAEL S. HARPER BLACK WOMAN by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON FOREDOOM by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON I MUST BECOME A MENACE TO MY ENEMIES by JUNE JORDAN A SONG FOR SOWETO by JUNE JORDAN ON THE LOSS OF ENERGY (AND OTHER THINGS) by JUNE JORDAN POEM ABOUT POLICE VIOLENCE by JUNE JORDAN DRAFT OF A RAP FOR WEN HO LEE by JUNE JORDAN THE NIGHT THAT LORCA COMES by BOB KAUFMAN |
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