Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2020
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English, Linguistics, and Communication
Department Chair or Program Director
Richards, Gary Dr.
First Advisor
Scanlon, Mara Dr.
Major or Concentration
English
Abstract
The concept and criteria of what constitutes the American long poem has been debated by critics for years. Ntozake Shange redefines what is traditionally considered the long poem by experimenting with form and voice in her poem, for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf. The inclusion of stage directions, dancing, and chanting contributes to reimagining the long poem. Shange distinguishes her work from traditional western poetry using these features, all part of her newly christened genre the choreopoem, an art form that does not contain traditional epic features but instead draws inspiration from theatre. Shange embraces the idea of a community through her description of black female experiences in a poignant and raw vernacular. Poetic form, and more specifically, the use of the choreopoem, resist and enables the deconstruction of historical narrative regarding black female bodies by replacing it with realistic images that validate the experiences of women in the community.
Recommended Citation
Pope, Caleigh, "The Deconstruction of Patriarchal Narratives in Ntozake Shange's for colored girls" (2020). Student Research Submissions. 313.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/313