Strategy #1: Free-Flowing Thought
Inspired from Chloe Peebles Craft Talk
Example: Text- I Dream of Horses Eating Cops by Jennifer Espinoza
“I have so much hope for the future/ or no I don’t” (lines 2-3)
“I couldn't wait to die or be killed… I couldn’t wait to wake up” (lines 13 and 15)
What is happening in the text: Free-flowing thought occurs when the writer “thinks out loud.” This is used specifically in poetry because it gives insight to the reader on how the author goes from one thought to the other. It opens communication between your conscious, cognitive mind and the unconscious, intuitive mind. In the text the author uses free-flowing thought when they include “Or no I don’t.” This shows what Espinoza was thinking as she was writing her poem.
What purposes might this have: Free-flowing thought provokes readers to question their own perspective.
How can it be emulated:
In the morning he is the first thing I think about / or is it?
Do I miss him, or do I just miss the feeling
Maybe it’s the feeling of being slowly touched
The feeling of warmth/ or could it be the feeling of love I never had.
What purposes it may serve--purposes especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Free-flowing thought allows authors to tell the reader about themself in their own voice. In the past, POC have had a hard time speaking up and allowing their voices to be heard. Free Flowing thought allows authors that are often oppressed to use their own voice through their writing. Kathy Caprino an internationally recognized writer and speaker stated, “Among the thousands of people I've worked with over the past 12 years, I’ve seen that speaking up powerfully for oneself is one of the most universal challenges human beings face today.”
Strategy #2: Anaphora
Inspired from Jocelyn Diaz Craft Talk
Example: Text- Sacrilegion Page 23 “Morning Dew”
What is happening in the text: Each line in the poem starts with the same phrase discussing white men. It begins with “If I kill these white men,” then it transitions into “When I kill these white men.”
What purposes might this have: The anaphora makes poems more dramatic and gives rhythm to words and phrases. This can have a strong effect on the reader as it may appeal to their emotions and hold their attention.
How can it be emulated:
I feel panic.
Take a breathe
I feel worried.
Drink some water
I feel anxious.
Pop this blue pill
I feel stressed.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Historically slaves were unable to read and write. Anaphoras allow authors to intentionally write in a more powerful way so the attention of the audience can be held and to create a lasting impression. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an anaphora in his famous “I have a dream speech.” He begins most of his lines with “I have a dream.” His repetition persuaded and motivated the listeners to act or behave in a particular way. This speech was so important because it brought civil rights and the call for African-American rights and freedom to the forefront of Americans' awareness.
Strategy #3: Personifications
Example: Text- Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu Page 165
“During this time, my love for Roopa turned into a sharp, painful thing that prodded me from the inside. My stomach folded itself into pieces”
What is happening in the text: The character in the text is explaining how their stomach “folded” into pieces. This is an example of personification because the stomach can’t literally fold like an object that is unhuman. (Like a piece of paper.) The author was smart because it still gives the reader an idea of the feeling that is going on in their stomach, without being too literal.
What purposes might this have: A personification is a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human. This allows writers to create life and motion within inanimate objects, animals, and even abstract ideas by assigning them recognizable human behaviors and emotions. SJ Sindu does this by allowing the reader to understand the type of physical pain that is going on in the character's stomach.
How can it be emulated:
The tree branch scratched and clawed at my windowsill,
Trying to break into my dorm room
I jumped
I've never experienced rain like this
Only used to California Palm trees
Dancing in the light wind
The blazing sun
Tanning my skin
What purposes it may serve--purposes especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
This strategy may help oppressive forces because they can share their emotions with the reader that are hard to be felt and understood.
Strategy #4: Onomatopoeia
Example: Text- Drive-By in the book sacrilegious by Lamar Wilson its page 28.
“bah daaaaaaaah! Bah daaaaaaah! Bah doo dah!
What is happening in the text: Lamar Wilson is imitating the sound of a car which sets the tone for the whole poem. This onomatopoeia is repeated throughout the poem before each stanza.
What purposes might this have: An Onomatopoeia creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting. Adding exclamation marks grabs the reader’s attention and creates a sound that the reader can then imagine.
How can it be emulated:
Breath in
Count to three
1-2-3
Exhale
It's not stopping
My palms begin to sweat
Heart races faster
Buh-bum buh-bump buh-bump
What purposes it may serve--purposes especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Onomatopoeias connect the reader to a product and make it memorable. But onomatopoeias can do even more for oppressive forces in writing: many authors, such as Lamar Wilson, use it to add humor, or laughter and amusement, to stories and poems.
Strategy #5: Police Brutality
Example: Text- History of my Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt Page 55.
“I have a phobia of the police. How could I trust he who disavowed personhood to instead be a gun? He who is bullets rather than an organism capable of nurturance?”
What is happening in the text: Billy Ray Belcourt grew up in the community of Driftpile in northern Alberta and is an NDN. This quote shows his distrust in the police and is explaining how they are “faceless” and live in a different world.
What purposes might this have: Billy-Ray Belcourt is sharing his thoughts on cops which educate the reader on how it must feel to be an oppressed force. White privilege is very prevalent when it comes to dealing with the police. Belcourt does a good job describing how he feels in the text.
How can it be emulated:
One may practice this strategy by writing about someone they do not trust. Trust is something that Billy Ray Belcourt never had in police and a lot of oppressed forces can agree with this.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Oppressed forces have been dealing with unfair treatment from the police and studies have shown that POC is more likely to get pulled over, hurt, and imprisoned. After the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, murdered by a white police officer, the BLM movement really really brought awareness to police brutality. But according to Sally Hadden, Colonial and Revolutionary Era Slave Patrols of Virginia 70, “Some of the earliest examples of the police were established with the express purpose of targeting racial minorities. Slave patrols in colonial and revolutionary Virginia could search land owned by other white males for any escaped slaves without a warrant.”
Strategy #6: Biblical References
Example: Text- Lamarr Wilson Sacrilegion You Da Only Man I Loves, Daddy: Lot's daughters. Page 24 and In the Lion's Den Page 46 of Sacrilegion
"You say we can' let my coat tear up too soon"
What is happening in the text: Lamar Wilson references a lot of biblical stories in his book Sacrilegion. In the poem The Lions Den it mentions things such as “strap ons and cock rings”. The story of the Lions Den comes from the bible. Daniel in the lions' den tells of how the biblical Daniel is saved from lions by the God of Israel "because I was found blameless before him". For over forty years it has been the official store of pleasure, passion, and romance, which can be expressed in a variety of ways. In his poem You Da Only Man I Loves, Daddy: Lot's daughters comes from the point of view of a child who is experiencing sexual abuse from a father figure. Her coat is a symbol of protection and it's tearing represents the betrayal that she has experienced.
What purposes might this have: Biblical references demonstrate clarity, consistency, and faithfulness to the Scriptures.
How can it be emulated:
Her memory slips out from her mind and into his pride
He brags to his friends as hers hear her cry
Her leather souls hit the ground
As she does what is known as the walk of shame
Eyes watch her as her head hangs low
And the wind blows her power away
She was no longer in control
Little do they know
The fog is slowly leaving her head
As flashbacks begin to enter from the bed
Four walls create a room
Which is so clear, but so indescribable
“Let's take another shot!”
Is the last thing she heard
Before she was out like a porch light
On a late Sunday night
Who is to blame? She questions herself
As she thought she was fine.
If he didn’t know the extent
Is it his fault or mine?
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Sex trafficking has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts, usually non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Studies show that 43.7% of sex trafficking cases are black compared to only 12% that is white. This shows the history of oppressive forces.
Strategy #7: Beauty is Destruction
Inspired by Meg Matthews Craft Talk
Example: Text- Blue Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu page 3
“Glass littered the road, glittering pinprick of light.”
What is happening in the text: The text explains a car accident where a small blue car is smashed with its wheels up in the air. SJ Sindu did a great job at describing the scene because she used descriptive words. She used the word glittering to describe the glass. Glitter is often associated with beauty, yet the car was destroyed.
What purposes might this have: This strategy shows the good in what some people might see as “bad.” It shows the beauty that comes from pain.
How can it be emulated:
The house burst into flames. The fire filled my nose with the smell of toasted marshmallows and the sky lit up with bright hues of orange.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Racism is a prevalent issue in today's society because some individuals believe that a certain race or the color of someone's skin can make them “less than” or “less worthy.” Oppressed forces can use this strategy in their writing to show how there are beautiful things that come from what some people may think is “bad.” This can show their beauty and their worth to those readers who are close-minded.
Strategy #8: Upside Down Sentence
Example: Text- History of My Brief Body by Billy Ray Belcourt page 47
"My mouth is a dirty floor. I'm sweeping up the dirt with my imagination."
What is happening in the text: The text is printed upside down at the body of the page.
What purposes might this have: This strategy shows how to be creative in writing. Turning the text upside down, causes the reader to turn the book around to understand this message. It's almost like a secret or hidden message to close out a section of the book.
How can it be emulated:
Practice writing a sentence either backward, upside down, or in a different way than you usually wouldn’t write it.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
People in different cultures write from right to left and may start at the bottom of the page which is almost “backward” for English readers. This text can show how other individuals see the English language when they try to read books from the United States.
Strategy #9: Using Symbolism as a Shield of Protection
Example: Text- Sacrilegion by Lamar Wilson page 11
“I was born and lived to darn myself a cocoon”
What is happening in the text: Wilson is describing himself as if he lived in a cocoon. A cocoon is a silky case spun by the larvae of many insects for protection in the pupal stage. It seems as if the speaker of the poem could be in the closet and using the cocoon to reference being stuck in the closet.
What purposes might this have:
This strategy uses a symbol to represent a shield of protection.
How can it be emulated:
Practice writing a sentence about something that you feel safe in, something that protects you from society.
“As I hide away in my plaid fort, holding my American Girl Doll designed to look just like me” (My fort and my doll were things that protected me as a child.)
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender POC have spoken out about their fear of coming out. Historically this has been a problem because oppressed forces face beating, cruelty, and even death for coming out of the closet. The author uses the cocoon to reference protection from these forces.
Strategy #10: Visual Organization of Text
Inspired by Chet Smith’s Craft Talk
Example: Text- Sacrilegion page 31
What is happening in the text: The text is in the shape of a pill bottle and the text is talking about HIV. This paints a picture for the reader and creates visual stylization for the reader.
What purposes might this have: This strategy is used to mimic the virus and make the reader really understand what is being shared.
How can it be emulated:
Practice writing a sentence either backward, upside down, or in a different way than you usually wouldn’t write it.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
I believe this poem is formatted like this to give power to those who have been affected by the HIV virus. Studies have shown that the HIV epidemic has affected more gay men than straight men and women.
Inspired from Chloe Peebles Craft Talk
Example: Text- I Dream of Horses Eating Cops by Jennifer Espinoza
“I have so much hope for the future/ or no I don’t” (lines 2-3)
“I couldn't wait to die or be killed… I couldn’t wait to wake up” (lines 13 and 15)
What is happening in the text: Free-flowing thought occurs when the writer “thinks out loud.” This is used specifically in poetry because it gives insight to the reader on how the author goes from one thought to the other. It opens communication between your conscious, cognitive mind and the unconscious, intuitive mind. In the text the author uses free-flowing thought when they include “Or no I don’t.” This shows what Espinoza was thinking as she was writing her poem.
What purposes might this have: Free-flowing thought provokes readers to question their own perspective.
How can it be emulated:
In the morning he is the first thing I think about / or is it?
Do I miss him, or do I just miss the feeling
Maybe it’s the feeling of being slowly touched
The feeling of warmth/ or could it be the feeling of love I never had.
What purposes it may serve--purposes especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Free-flowing thought allows authors to tell the reader about themself in their own voice. In the past, POC have had a hard time speaking up and allowing their voices to be heard. Free Flowing thought allows authors that are often oppressed to use their own voice through their writing. Kathy Caprino an internationally recognized writer and speaker stated, “Among the thousands of people I've worked with over the past 12 years, I’ve seen that speaking up powerfully for oneself is one of the most universal challenges human beings face today.”
Strategy #2: Anaphora
Inspired from Jocelyn Diaz Craft Talk
Example: Text- Sacrilegion Page 23 “Morning Dew”
What is happening in the text: Each line in the poem starts with the same phrase discussing white men. It begins with “If I kill these white men,” then it transitions into “When I kill these white men.”
What purposes might this have: The anaphora makes poems more dramatic and gives rhythm to words and phrases. This can have a strong effect on the reader as it may appeal to their emotions and hold their attention.
How can it be emulated:
I feel panic.
Take a breathe
I feel worried.
Drink some water
I feel anxious.
Pop this blue pill
I feel stressed.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Historically slaves were unable to read and write. Anaphoras allow authors to intentionally write in a more powerful way so the attention of the audience can be held and to create a lasting impression. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an anaphora in his famous “I have a dream speech.” He begins most of his lines with “I have a dream.” His repetition persuaded and motivated the listeners to act or behave in a particular way. This speech was so important because it brought civil rights and the call for African-American rights and freedom to the forefront of Americans' awareness.
Strategy #3: Personifications
Example: Text- Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu Page 165
“During this time, my love for Roopa turned into a sharp, painful thing that prodded me from the inside. My stomach folded itself into pieces”
What is happening in the text: The character in the text is explaining how their stomach “folded” into pieces. This is an example of personification because the stomach can’t literally fold like an object that is unhuman. (Like a piece of paper.) The author was smart because it still gives the reader an idea of the feeling that is going on in their stomach, without being too literal.
What purposes might this have: A personification is a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human. This allows writers to create life and motion within inanimate objects, animals, and even abstract ideas by assigning them recognizable human behaviors and emotions. SJ Sindu does this by allowing the reader to understand the type of physical pain that is going on in the character's stomach.
How can it be emulated:
The tree branch scratched and clawed at my windowsill,
Trying to break into my dorm room
I jumped
I've never experienced rain like this
Only used to California Palm trees
Dancing in the light wind
The blazing sun
Tanning my skin
What purposes it may serve--purposes especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
This strategy may help oppressive forces because they can share their emotions with the reader that are hard to be felt and understood.
Strategy #4: Onomatopoeia
Example: Text- Drive-By in the book sacrilegious by Lamar Wilson its page 28.
“bah daaaaaaaah! Bah daaaaaaah! Bah doo dah!
What is happening in the text: Lamar Wilson is imitating the sound of a car which sets the tone for the whole poem. This onomatopoeia is repeated throughout the poem before each stanza.
What purposes might this have: An Onomatopoeia creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting. Adding exclamation marks grabs the reader’s attention and creates a sound that the reader can then imagine.
How can it be emulated:
Breath in
Count to three
1-2-3
Exhale
It's not stopping
My palms begin to sweat
Heart races faster
Buh-bum buh-bump buh-bump
What purposes it may serve--purposes especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Onomatopoeias connect the reader to a product and make it memorable. But onomatopoeias can do even more for oppressive forces in writing: many authors, such as Lamar Wilson, use it to add humor, or laughter and amusement, to stories and poems.
Strategy #5: Police Brutality
Example: Text- History of my Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt Page 55.
“I have a phobia of the police. How could I trust he who disavowed personhood to instead be a gun? He who is bullets rather than an organism capable of nurturance?”
What is happening in the text: Billy Ray Belcourt grew up in the community of Driftpile in northern Alberta and is an NDN. This quote shows his distrust in the police and is explaining how they are “faceless” and live in a different world.
What purposes might this have: Billy-Ray Belcourt is sharing his thoughts on cops which educate the reader on how it must feel to be an oppressed force. White privilege is very prevalent when it comes to dealing with the police. Belcourt does a good job describing how he feels in the text.
How can it be emulated:
One may practice this strategy by writing about someone they do not trust. Trust is something that Billy Ray Belcourt never had in police and a lot of oppressed forces can agree with this.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Oppressed forces have been dealing with unfair treatment from the police and studies have shown that POC is more likely to get pulled over, hurt, and imprisoned. After the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, murdered by a white police officer, the BLM movement really really brought awareness to police brutality. But according to Sally Hadden, Colonial and Revolutionary Era Slave Patrols of Virginia 70, “Some of the earliest examples of the police were established with the express purpose of targeting racial minorities. Slave patrols in colonial and revolutionary Virginia could search land owned by other white males for any escaped slaves without a warrant.”
Strategy #6: Biblical References
Example: Text- Lamarr Wilson Sacrilegion You Da Only Man I Loves, Daddy: Lot's daughters. Page 24 and In the Lion's Den Page 46 of Sacrilegion
"You say we can' let my coat tear up too soon"
What is happening in the text: Lamar Wilson references a lot of biblical stories in his book Sacrilegion. In the poem The Lions Den it mentions things such as “strap ons and cock rings”. The story of the Lions Den comes from the bible. Daniel in the lions' den tells of how the biblical Daniel is saved from lions by the God of Israel "because I was found blameless before him". For over forty years it has been the official store of pleasure, passion, and romance, which can be expressed in a variety of ways. In his poem You Da Only Man I Loves, Daddy: Lot's daughters comes from the point of view of a child who is experiencing sexual abuse from a father figure. Her coat is a symbol of protection and it's tearing represents the betrayal that she has experienced.
What purposes might this have: Biblical references demonstrate clarity, consistency, and faithfulness to the Scriptures.
How can it be emulated:
Her memory slips out from her mind and into his pride
He brags to his friends as hers hear her cry
Her leather souls hit the ground
As she does what is known as the walk of shame
Eyes watch her as her head hangs low
And the wind blows her power away
She was no longer in control
Little do they know
The fog is slowly leaving her head
As flashbacks begin to enter from the bed
Four walls create a room
Which is so clear, but so indescribable
“Let's take another shot!”
Is the last thing she heard
Before she was out like a porch light
On a late Sunday night
Who is to blame? She questions herself
As she thought she was fine.
If he didn’t know the extent
Is it his fault or mine?
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Sex trafficking has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts, usually non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Studies show that 43.7% of sex trafficking cases are black compared to only 12% that is white. This shows the history of oppressive forces.
Strategy #7: Beauty is Destruction
Inspired by Meg Matthews Craft Talk
Example: Text- Blue Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu page 3
“Glass littered the road, glittering pinprick of light.”
What is happening in the text: The text explains a car accident where a small blue car is smashed with its wheels up in the air. SJ Sindu did a great job at describing the scene because she used descriptive words. She used the word glittering to describe the glass. Glitter is often associated with beauty, yet the car was destroyed.
What purposes might this have: This strategy shows the good in what some people might see as “bad.” It shows the beauty that comes from pain.
How can it be emulated:
The house burst into flames. The fire filled my nose with the smell of toasted marshmallows and the sky lit up with bright hues of orange.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Racism is a prevalent issue in today's society because some individuals believe that a certain race or the color of someone's skin can make them “less than” or “less worthy.” Oppressed forces can use this strategy in their writing to show how there are beautiful things that come from what some people may think is “bad.” This can show their beauty and their worth to those readers who are close-minded.
Strategy #8: Upside Down Sentence
Example: Text- History of My Brief Body by Billy Ray Belcourt page 47
"My mouth is a dirty floor. I'm sweeping up the dirt with my imagination."
What is happening in the text: The text is printed upside down at the body of the page.
What purposes might this have: This strategy shows how to be creative in writing. Turning the text upside down, causes the reader to turn the book around to understand this message. It's almost like a secret or hidden message to close out a section of the book.
How can it be emulated:
Practice writing a sentence either backward, upside down, or in a different way than you usually wouldn’t write it.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
People in different cultures write from right to left and may start at the bottom of the page which is almost “backward” for English readers. This text can show how other individuals see the English language when they try to read books from the United States.
Strategy #9: Using Symbolism as a Shield of Protection
Example: Text- Sacrilegion by Lamar Wilson page 11
“I was born and lived to darn myself a cocoon”
What is happening in the text: Wilson is describing himself as if he lived in a cocoon. A cocoon is a silky case spun by the larvae of many insects for protection in the pupal stage. It seems as if the speaker of the poem could be in the closet and using the cocoon to reference being stuck in the closet.
What purposes might this have:
This strategy uses a symbol to represent a shield of protection.
How can it be emulated:
Practice writing a sentence about something that you feel safe in, something that protects you from society.
“As I hide away in my plaid fort, holding my American Girl Doll designed to look just like me” (My fort and my doll were things that protected me as a child.)
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender POC have spoken out about their fear of coming out. Historically this has been a problem because oppressed forces face beating, cruelty, and even death for coming out of the closet. The author uses the cocoon to reference protection from these forces.
Strategy #10: Visual Organization of Text
Inspired by Chet Smith’s Craft Talk
Example: Text- Sacrilegion page 31
What is happening in the text: The text is in the shape of a pill bottle and the text is talking about HIV. This paints a picture for the reader and creates visual stylization for the reader.
What purposes might this have: This strategy is used to mimic the virus and make the reader really understand what is being shared.
How can it be emulated:
Practice writing a sentence either backward, upside down, or in a different way than you usually wouldn’t write it.
What purposes it may serve--purposes, especially for the identification, subversion, resistance, etc. of and against historical oppressive forces:
I believe this poem is formatted like this to give power to those who have been affected by the HIV virus. Studies have shown that the HIV epidemic has affected more gay men than straight men and women.