Images of assassins
‘Assassination’ Don L Lee (1942-)
Repetition
Images of MLK and murder
it was wild. Punctuation
the Alliteration/Assonance
bullet hit high.
(the throat-neck)
& from everywhere,
the motel, from under blushes and cars,
from around corners and across streets,
out of the garbage cans and from rat holes
in the earth
they came running.
with
guns
drawn
they came running
toward the King–
all of them
fast and sure–
as if
the King
was going to fire back.
they came running,
fast and sure,
in the
wrong
direction.
*MLK – Martin Luther King Jr.
, Biographical Information
• Don L Lee: Key figure in the Black Arts’ Movement in the 1960s.
• Writes Poetry to:
→ Honour black heroes.
→ Allow black narratives to be heard - power for black people.
• Poetry is used as a social and political comment.
Meaning
• Assertion against the USA systemic racism and corruption.
• Speaking out about the accepted story of MLK’s death and seeks justice.
• Honouring a black hero.
Imagery
• Capitol letter ‘King”: shows MLK to be important and an icon. Brings honour to him.
→ Turns him into timeless symbol of peace and resistance.
• Biting irony and sarcasm.
Structure
• Black Arts’ Movement showed resistance by breaking down acceptable ‘white’
values and standards – including language. Therefore Lee debatably mixes
up/misuses/ invents own grammar and syntax (sentence structure).
• By using black ‘street’ slang Lee’s writing is described as ‘spoken soul’ – authentic.
Effect:
• Extremely irregular structure
Highlights the chaos, violence, and turmoil of the
• Staccato (stop/start) uneven rhythm. shooting.
• Choppy, short lines
• Uneven stanzas, lines and spacing. Lines away from Margins: Bullet moving.
• Free verse
Free verse: Shows the unpredictability of the
• Staggered typography situation and pandemonium AND Lee’s true and
authentic writing as it doesn’t follow any
boundaries.
Tone/Mood
Unsettling, Eerie, Bitter, Angry, Stark brutal.
‘Assassination’ Don L Lee (1942-)
Repetition
Images of MLK and murder
it was wild. Punctuation
the Alliteration/Assonance
bullet hit high.
(the throat-neck)
& from everywhere,
the motel, from under blushes and cars,
from around corners and across streets,
out of the garbage cans and from rat holes
in the earth
they came running.
with
guns
drawn
they came running
toward the King–
all of them
fast and sure–
as if
the King
was going to fire back.
they came running,
fast and sure,
in the
wrong
direction.
*MLK – Martin Luther King Jr.
, Biographical Information
• Don L Lee: Key figure in the Black Arts’ Movement in the 1960s.
• Writes Poetry to:
→ Honour black heroes.
→ Allow black narratives to be heard - power for black people.
• Poetry is used as a social and political comment.
Meaning
• Assertion against the USA systemic racism and corruption.
• Speaking out about the accepted story of MLK’s death and seeks justice.
• Honouring a black hero.
Imagery
• Capitol letter ‘King”: shows MLK to be important and an icon. Brings honour to him.
→ Turns him into timeless symbol of peace and resistance.
• Biting irony and sarcasm.
Structure
• Black Arts’ Movement showed resistance by breaking down acceptable ‘white’
values and standards – including language. Therefore Lee debatably mixes
up/misuses/ invents own grammar and syntax (sentence structure).
• By using black ‘street’ slang Lee’s writing is described as ‘spoken soul’ – authentic.
Effect:
• Extremely irregular structure
Highlights the chaos, violence, and turmoil of the
• Staccato (stop/start) uneven rhythm. shooting.
• Choppy, short lines
• Uneven stanzas, lines and spacing. Lines away from Margins: Bullet moving.
• Free verse
Free verse: Shows the unpredictability of the
• Staggered typography situation and pandemonium AND Lee’s true and
authentic writing as it doesn’t follow any
boundaries.
Tone/Mood
Unsettling, Eerie, Bitter, Angry, Stark brutal.
