(Kha's Reflection Blog #1) Tuesday - September 19th

        How Do I Feel About the Poem "For Robert Hayden"              by Terrance Hayes? 

        

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• Honest Interpretation: 😳

- Right at the beginning of the poem, the first stanza gives off a very straightforward vibe/idea of some kinds of family struggles, which all of you and I had experienced at some point in our life or even daily for some of you, no matter the severity of it. Well, not to be depressing, but this poem asked a lot of in-depth questions that made me think is it really that deep. This is not to shy away from the family issue Hayes struggled with as a kid because compared to how I grew up, it differs greatly compared to many other ethnicities and cultures. As someone who went to a ninety percent black elementary, middle, and high school for the past seven and a half years, I had a decent grasp of the family situation for black individuals in the New Orleans East region. This is not to say that I understand everything they go through because I don't. Well, back to the poem, I think the purpose of the series of rhetorical questions is not only to shed light on Robert Hayden's situation regarding his father but also on us as the reader, encouraging us to think about it as well! 

• Class Discussion + Personal Analysis: 📖📑

- The poem specifically talks about Robert Hayden's father but not from his voice but rather from Hayes's voice, which I think is what makes the poem so unique: but let's not get into this right now, since that will be for another blog 😙. This is a thought-provoking poem that explores the legacy of Robert Hayden, who was known for his works that revolve around the themes of race, identity, and history: but is that truly all? This poem focuses heavily on the "supposed" duty and behavior of a father, so it digs rather deep into the core of what it takes to truly be a father. Listening to the experiences you all had gone through with your father was quite interesting because it varies immensely compared to my personal experience. The relationship I have with my father is more of a buddy-type of interaction since we often share the same thoughts and talk about the same things because he has now caught up to everything new in our generation. Fun fact, my father had never said "I love you" to me, but I like it that way because I feel like it's kind of weird 😂. Either way, it's the action that matters because words without effort are nothing but lies. 

- This was a decently long reflection blog, so thank you for sticking through it!

Have a nice day ✌, 

Kha