Oakland Blues
Poetry has been profoundly influenced by the blues, a deeply rooted and significant musical genre. The blues, an expressive art style that relates to the human experience offers a complexity of emotion, hardship, and perseverance. Through the use of blues themes and patterns, poets have been able to draw from the same well of inspiration, feeling, and social critique. One of the finest examples of blues can be found in “Oakland Blues” by Ishmael Reed.
“Oakland Blues” delves into the social and cultural aspects of Oakland, California. The city’s atmosphere, rich history, and diversified population are all portrayed in the poem. It talks about issues like urban living, African American experience, Oakland’s hardships and beauty, and more. Ishmael Reed creates a distinctive and powerful style in his poetry by mixing modern and traditional poetry with creative approaches. Reed employs the standard blues approach of repetition, but instead of only repeating the opening line, he does it at the beginning of each stanza: “They told you of the sickness/ almost eighteen months ago” (Reed 193). In the second stanza, these two lines are repeated. This appears in the last stanza when the lines “To a house that’s still and stark” (Reed 194) and “O, it’s hard to come home, baby” are repeated word for word.
The speaker may be trying to deal or cope with a difficult situation, as seen by the mention of illness and the notion that it is difficult to return home. This is further demonstrated by the definition of the term “stark,” which is harsh in appearance and inflexible. The recurrence of these words conveys to the reader the speaker’s desire for clarity, which is evident as they attempt to deal with a challenging issue in the poem. Although Reed modifies the blues form somewhat to avoid repeating the opening line right away, the feeling of worry and facing a predicament is still created.
Reed, Ishmael. “Oakland Blues.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. Edited by Annie Finch and Kathrine Varnes, U of Michigan P, 2016, p. 193.
