Hi,

I am trying to analyze this poem. It is called "On watching politicians perform at Martin Luther king's funeral".
It is by Etheridge Knight who is a black poet who was active mostly in the 60s and 70s.

Here is the poem.

Hypocrites shed tears
like shiny snake skins

words rolling
thru the southern air

the scent of flower
mingles with Jack Daniels
and Cutty Sark

the last snake skin slithers
to the floor where
black baptist feet
have danced in ecstasy

they turn
away
to begin
again

manicured fingers shufflung
the same stacked deck
with the ante
raised

===========
Ok so I understand that he is saying that the politicians aren't really sad and they are "performing" as the title suggests. I get that he is comparing them to snakes. But that is about it. I don't understand stanzas 3-6. Could someone please help me. I need to do a presentation on this poem.

Thanks

Read about the idiom, "stack the deck," and let us know what you think.

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C2GGGE_enUS379US455&hl=en&site=&q=idiom%3A+stacked+deck&oq=idiom%3A+stacked+deck&aq=f&aqi=g-v1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=6346l13880l0l14190l21l21l0l0l0l0l371l2962l0.15.0.1l16l0

Certainly! Let's break down the poem stanza by stanza:

Stanza 1:
"Hypocrites shed tears like shiny snake skins"
This line is a simile that compares the tears of the politicians to the discarded skins of snakes. It suggests that the politicians are insincere in their display of emotions.

Stanza 2:
"Words rolling thru the southern air"
This line is a poetic way of describing the politicians' speeches or statements being delivered. It emphasizes that their words are not genuine but rather for show.

"The scent of flower mingles with Jack Daniels and Cutty Sark"
This line juxtaposes the pleasant aroma of flowers with the smell of alcohol. It implies a sense of contradiction or incongruity, perhaps suggesting that the politicians' mourning is mixed with insincerity and self-indulgence.

Stanza 3:
"The last snake skin slithers to the floor"
This line symbolizes the final act of shedding one's skin, suggesting that the politicians' display of mourning is coming to an end.

"Where black Baptist feet have danced in ecstasy"
This line refers to the genuine expressions of joy and celebration by the black Baptist community. It contrasts the insincere mourning of the politicians with the authentic emotions of those who have been oppressed.

Stanza 4:
"They turn away to begin again"
This line implies that the politicians, having concluded their performance, will move on to their next political endeavor without truly addressing the issues that prompted the funeral.

Stanza 5:
"Manicured fingers shuffling the same stacked deck"
This line uses the image of shuffling cards as a metaphor to suggest that the politicians are engaging in the same manipulative tactics or empty gestures they have always used. Their actions are calculated and not genuine.

"With the ante raised"
This phrase signifies an increase or escalation in the stakes of a game. It suggests that although the politicians may change their approach, the underlying motives or power dynamic remains the same.

Overall, the poem criticizes the insincerity and performative actions of politicians at Martin Luther King's funeral. It contrasts their actions with the genuine emotions of the black community and portrays them as hypocritical and manipulative. The imagery of snakes and card games underscores the deceitful nature of their behavior.