Our Grandmothers Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDE FGH IEJKL MNMMOPMOQRPST H UVWXYTTTT H ZTA2B2A2RC2 H D2TE2F2G2H2NI2 H J2ZZOK2L2NK2WCK2 M2N2T H O2K2P2K2LQ2NR2S2 T2U2ZV2C W2E2X2 Y2YT Z2A3K2E2YYY K2B3K2C3K2D3K2E3F3G3 H3K2TYB I3K2K2J3K2Z HShe lay skin down in the moist dirt | A |
the canebrake rustling | B |
with the whispers of leaves and | C |
loud longing of hounds and | C |
the ransack of hunters crackling the near | D |
branches | E |
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She muttered lifting her head a nod toward | F |
freedom | G |
I shall not I shall not be moved | H |
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She gathered her babies | I |
their tears slick as oil on black faces | E |
their young eyes canvassing mornings of madness | J |
Momma is Master going to sell you | K |
from us tomorrow | L |
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Yes | M |
Unless you keep walking more | N |
and talking less | M |
Yes | M |
Unless the keeper of our lives | O |
releases me from all commandments | P |
Yes | M |
And your lives | O |
never mine to live | Q |
will be executed upon the killing floor of | R |
innocents | P |
Unless you match my heart and words | S |
saying with me | T |
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I shall not be moved | H |
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In Virginia tobacco fields | U |
leaning into the curve | V |
of Steinway | W |
pianos along Arkansas roads | X |
in the red hills of Georgia | Y |
into the palms of her chained hands she | T |
cried against calamity | T |
You have tried to destroy me | T |
and though I perish daily | T |
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I shall not be moved | H |
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Her universe often | Z |
summarized into one black body | T |
falling finally from the tree to her feet | A2 |
made her cry each time into a new voice | B2 |
All my past hastens to defeat | A2 |
and strangers claim the glory of my love | R |
Iniquity has bound me to his bed | C2 |
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yet I must not be moved | H |
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She heard the names | D2 |
swirling ribbons in the wind of history | T |
nigger nigger bitch heifer | E2 |
mammy property creature ape baboon | F2 |
whore hot tail thing it | G2 |
She said But my description cannot | H2 |
fit your tongue for | N |
I have a certain way of being in this world | I2 |
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and I shall not I shall not be moved | H |
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No angel stretched protecting wings | J2 |
above the heads of her children | Z |
fluttering and urging the winds of reason | Z |
into the confusions of their lives | O |
The sprouted like young weeds | K2 |
but she could not shield their growth | L2 |
from the grinding blades of ignorance nor | N |
shape them into symbolic topiaries | K2 |
She sent them away | W |
underground overland in coaches and | C |
shoeless | K2 |
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When you learn teach | M2 |
When you get give | N2 |
As for me | T |
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I shall not be moved | H |
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She stood in midocean seeking dry land | O2 |
She searched God's face | K2 |
Assured | P2 |
she placed her fire of service | K2 |
on the altar and though | L |
clothed in the finery of faith | Q2 |
when she appeared at the temple door | N |
no sign welcomed | R2 |
Black Grandmother Enter here | S2 |
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Into the crashing sound | T2 |
into wickedness she cried | U2 |
No one no nor no one million | Z |
ones dare deny me God I go forth | V2 |
along and stand as ten thousand | C |
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The Divine upon my right | W2 |
impels me to pull forever | E2 |
at the latch on Freedom's gate | X2 |
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The Holy Spirit upon my left leads my | Y2 |
feet without ceasing into the camp of the | Y |
righteous and into the tents of the free | T |
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These momma faces lemon yellow plum purple | Z2 |
honey brown have grimaced and twisted | A3 |
down a pyramid for years | K2 |
She is Sheba the Sojourner | E2 |
Harriet and Zora | Y |
Mary Bethune and Angela | Y |
Annie to Zenobia | Y |
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She stands | K2 |
before the abortion clinic | B3 |
confounded by the lack of choices | K2 |
In the Welfare line | C3 |
reduced to the pity of handouts | K2 |
Ordained in the pulpit shielded | D3 |
by the mysteries | K2 |
In the operating room | E3 |
husbanding life | F3 |
In the choir loft | G3 |
holding God in her throat | H3 |
On lonely street corners | K2 |
hawking her body | T |
In the classroom loving the | Y |
children to understanding | B |
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Centered on the world's stage | I3 |
she sings to her loves and beloveds | K2 |
to her foes and detractors | K2 |
However I am perceived and deceived | J3 |
however my ignorance and conceits | K2 |
lay aside your fears that I will be undone | Z |
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for I shall not be moved | H |
Maya Angelou
(1)
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