How does Baldwin use alliteration and/or assonance to link words, and therefore ideas, together, and why?
practice close reading of a particularly powerful passage in James Baldwin’s poem “The Giver”:If they cannot claim it, if it is not there,if their empty fingers beat the empty airIn your blog entry, perform your own close reading of these two lines. Really focus on every single word, breaking down the meaning as much as you can. (I like to think of each word is a box that needs unpacking because it is carrying so much meaning.)Use the following questions as your guide. Allow them to inspire you, but don’t let them limit you!What do you believe the theme of the poem is?What do you think the “empty fingers” are a symbol of, and why?How does Baldwin use alliteration and/or assonance to link words, and therefore ideas, together, and why?Why do you think Baldwin shaped his stanzas the way he did, so that some are very short and the last one is significantly longer?What overall message do you feel Baldwin is trying to convey through this poem?
