Tag: Literature

The Softer Side of Tupac Shakur: Poetry, Life, & Wisdom

Photo by Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash

by Jennifer Ward

When most of us hear the name Tupac Shakur, we think of 90s rap music, violence, and a rather tough exterior. But underneath that hard shell lies a much softer side of him that few people realize existed. After his death, some of his most intimate, hand-written poems, including a book of his childhood poetry and illustrations, were uncovered. His poetry, which is quite heartfelt and profound, offers a window into his personal life, allowing us to see far beyond his hip-hop persona. While the lyrics in some of his rap songs were offensive enough to insult most women and anyone he hated, his poetry is quite the contrast with his music and the image he portrayed.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The Rose that Grew from Concrete

By TUPAC SHAKUR

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

This is the first poem of his that I ever read. It quickly became my favorite because it is so relatable. There is a strong, inspirational message here when thinking about life’s hardships. The rose is likely a metaphor for Tupac’s struggles on his road to stardom and success. Flowers are enchanting, especially when they bloom, even more so when unexpected. What has resonated most with me here is his unwavering determination to become something, despite the low expectations of others and the odds stacked against him in a rather cold, hard, and overlooked place. His poem also reveals the importance of holding onto those dreams and not getting stuck on seeking validation from others. Nature is fleeting, and so are moments in life, don’t waste time. Know your worth, fight for your dreams, and keep moving forward. I love it.

After reading that poem, I bought a collection of his hand-written poetry bearing the same title, The Rose that Grew from Concrete. What I found was a book of thought-provoking poems with poignant themes.

“Under the Skies Above” is another poem in this collection that reveals his pain and inner strength when dealing with an unthinkable tragedy.

Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash

Under the Skies

By TUPAC SHAKUR

My child is out there somewhere
under the skies above
waiting anxiously 4 u and me
2 bless it with our love
A part of me a part of u
and a part of this love we share
will protect my unborn child
who lives dormant out there somewhere
Sometimes in my dreams
I imagine what it would be like
How could I properly guide him
when even I don’t know what’s right
Whether he is born in wealth or poverty
there will be no deficiency in love
I welcome this gift of life
given from GOD under the skies above

This poem is heartbreaking, showing the couple’s excitement, and then their devastating loss. But it’s more than just a sad poem. It reveals an incredible amount of faith and inner strength needed to cope with such an awful, life-changing tragedy. In the end, he reflects that although it wasn’t the outcome they had hoped for, he chooses to see it as a gift from God. I found this poem to be sensitive, inspirational, and positive. It isn’t always easy to communicate that when tackling heavy subjects like this.

This last poem I’m going to share was dedicated in memory of Vincent van Gogh, aptly titled “Starry Night.”

Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Starry Night

By TUPAC SHAKUR

a creative heart, obsessed with satisfying
This dormant and uncaring society
you have given them the stars at night
and u have given them Bountiful Bouquets of Sunflowers
But 4 u there is only contempt
and though u pour yourself into that frame
and present it so proudly                                                                                                      this world could not accept your masterpieces
from the heart

So on that starry night
u gave 2 us and
u took away from us
The one thing we never acknowledged
your life

Tupac understood the struggles of an artist. Through his poem “Starry Night,” he showed appreciation for the talented Vincent van Gogh, who no one significantly noticed until after his death. For many artists, including van Gogh and Tupac, it isn’t about making money; it’s about sharing your gifts with the world. Van Gogh’s gift was painting. Tupac’s gift was writing. Tupac had that incredible drive and passion for being creative. Through his poetry, he shared a hidden talent with us, revealing that he is truly one of a kind.

Hey there! Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this article, please let me know by sending a like or comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts! The original blog post was published on Vocal Media and featured as a top story in their Beat community. You can subscribe to future blog posts here at the top of the sidebar to your right. Connect with me on Twitter: @jennwardwrites. 

Thank you again for your support!

Halsey Street: A Brooklyn Story about Loss, Gentrification, and Relationships

Photo by Josh Wilburne on Unsplash

By Jennifer Ward

As we approach Thanksgiving and the holidays, I wanted to write about a novel I read that focuses a lot on the intricacies of family relationships. When I pick up a new book and begin reading, a few things I look for are strong characters, a compelling setting, and poignant themes. Three years ago, I stumbled upon a beautifully-written book with all these qualities and more.

As a woman born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I was immediately drawn to Naima Coster’s debut novel, Halsey Street. I had a feeling I would love her book, and I was right. Her contemporary fiction story introduces Penelope Grand, a young woman moving from Philadelphia back to her old neighborhood—Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. It’s an emotional journey with an ending I did not expect.

Coster’s protagonist, Penelope, is a talented, struggling artist looking for success and her place in the world. She finds herself working in a less desirable position as a substitute teacher to make ends meet. Like other aspects of her life, her temporary job is not what she envisioned for herself upon graduating college. Her relationships with both of her parents are strained, one living in Brooklyn, the other abroad. Perhaps it is the pain of her distanced relationship with her mother that I related to most.

Photo by Enzo Ticà on Unsplash

Penelope returns to Brooklyn to help her ill father. Upon her arrival, the neighborhood of her youth is almost unrecognizable due to gentrification. The setting serves as a metaphor for the belonging the native residents once had and now long for. Penelope rents a room in the attic of the Harper’s brownstone, a few blocks from her father. When she first moved into their house, she walked down a long hallway of closed doors, further suggesting the plight of those underprivileged. Even the tiny room she occupies also hints at the marginalization experienced by the area’s long-time residents.

The Brooklyn setting is almost a character itself with its beautiful culture, way of life, and values so deeply ingrained in its residents. As the neighborhood changes, the setting becomes such a crucial part of her story that it could not have the same depth without it. Coster has the ability to connect with audiences who have felt the impact of gentrification in Brooklyn or other large cities across the United States.

Penelope’s entire life seems to float in this constant state of loneliness and limbo, perhaps making this story so nuanced and relatable. As I continued to read, I felt sad throughout a good portion of the novel, but I also felt a range of other emotions. Her struggle to succeed in a world of inequality is unmistakable. She isn’t perfect, and neither is the world she lives in, but she’s a strong woman who doesn’t give up, managing to care for herself and others around her with dignity and respect.

Through the telling of a family saga, Halsey Street reveals an important theme of forgiveness. The past and present moments of Penelope’s relationships with her parents are woven, revealing their complexity, and depth. The act of forgiveness might be one of the most challenging things for us to understand and embrace. To have it is truly a gift. Through her difficult journey, I saw a realistic and honest depiction of life, and the pain that comes with family conflict.

Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash

Another theme I found in Halsey Street is the human need to belong. You don’t have to be a Brooklyn-born resident to know what that feels like—it’s something that is part of all of us. Whether it is belonging to a small group of friends, a church, a team, or something bigger, the need to connect with others and feel important is a universal desire. For the native residents of Penelope’s neighborhood, gentrification not only took their homes and businesses but also their sense of pride and belonging. As a reader, I felt it too. Halsey Street sheds light on the importance of having people stay rooted in their communities and its bearing on Penelope, the people of Brooklyn, and her readers.

Hey there! Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this article, please let me know by sending a like or comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts! You can read future articles by subscribing to my blog here. Connect with me on Twitter: @jennwardwrites.

Thank you again for your support.

A Closer Look at Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘Pumpkin Head’

Photo by Ivan Serediuk on Unsplash

By Jennifer Ward

A Woman Alone

When I first read Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Pumpkin Head,” I was so frightened that I didn’t want to be in my apartment alone afterward. Her stories have scared me before, but this experience was quite unsettling. As with most horror stories, the shock wore off with time, yet her characters continued to haunt me long after meeting them on the page. Perhaps it was her female protagonist — Hadley — whom I identified with so much that I could not forget her vulnerability as a woman living alone. As I sit here in my candle-lit apartment listening to the roll of distant thunder, I remember Oates’ story a decade later as we approach Halloween — the season of pumpkins and stories that make our skin crawl.

Oates’ story opens with Hadley, a recently widowed woman who lives alone. She is startled in front of her house by “a tall male scarecrow figure with a misshapen Halloween pumpkin for a head.” Although the initial image of this man, Anton, is frightening, the story reveals much more. Hadley and Anton have many layers the reader can peel back as the tension mounts. The further I read, the more engrossed I became with both characters, each an outsider in their own way. Although Anton eventually becomes a threat to Hadley, this story is about how she deals with her new life alone and the ghost of grief.

The History of the Jack-O-Lantern

Looking at Oates’ character Anton and the image of the pumpkin head made me think of the jack-o-lantern and its origin. According to history.com, the face of the jack-o-lantern derives from an Irish myth about a man named “Stingy Jack.” As the legend is told, Jack played a trick on the devil by inviting him to have a drink, then turned him into a coin to avoid paying. Aptly nicknamed “stingy,” Jack decided to keep the coin beside a silver cross so the devil couldn’t return. Later, he tricked the devil again into climbing up a tree and held him captive by carving the sign of the cross. His behavior upset the devil and God; therefore, he was never welcomed into heaven or hell. As a result, he roamed the earth with only a turnip to light his path. People began placing jack-o-lanterns in front of their homes to keep Stingy Jack and other evil spirits away.

There are some striking similarities between the Irish myth and the role reversal in Oates’ story that develops. In “Pumpkin Head,” Anton gives a jack-o-lantern to Hadley, later joining her for a drink. Like the devil, Hadley is deceived and finds herself in a situation that is not only hard to walk away from but quite dangerous. It is, of course, ironic that — a jack-o-lantern — believed to ward off evil is given to her by someone who represents it himself. In the midst of all of this, I also thought of Hadley as a native-born resident. As an American woman, her character may hold some power and advantages in society that Anton, a European immigrant, desires. Looking back at the origins of the jack-o-lantern story, Jack seemed to be seeking some power which can be seen in Anton’s behavior too.

Photo by Quenten Janssen on Unsplash

Final Thoughts

“Pumpkin Head” appeared in The New Yorker in 2009 and is also included in Oates’ book Sourland. If you’ve read her stories, you know they are quite dark and often violent. Take a look at “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” and you might see some similarities here — one being a female protagonist isolated and victimized in her own home. They are two very different stories but do share some likenesses. Nevertheless, we read her work in anticipation that something very unpleasant and twisted will happen. This story delivers, and although it did leave me feeling quite uneasy, I would read it again. I have heard people say they didn’t like this story, particularly for its violence and the message they thought it communicated. It depends on how you read it, I suppose. But any piece of literature that elicits that much emotion — whether good or bad — is a powerful story.

In her story, Oates communicates universal themes of loss, death, and vulnerability, which may be more frightening than some of the images we associate with Halloween. Hadley could be any woman struggling to accept the death of her husband and the strange, new life she has found herself in. Oates’ story is incredibly haunting, weaving traditions of folklore and terror with an ending that cannot be forgotten.

Hey there! Thanks for reading! The original article was publish in Vocal Media. If you enjoyed this blog post, please let me know by sending a like or comment. You can also subscribe to read future blog posts here on the upper right side of this page. Connect with me on Twitter: @jennwardwrites. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

References

https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/01/12/pumpkin-head

%d bloggers like this: