My daughter Rachael has introduced me to a book of poems from her poetry class at UCLA entitled Blue-Tail Fly by Vievee Francis. This is a wonderful volume of persona poems written in the voices of either real people or composites of people living from the pre-Mexican American War through the post-Civil War era. This book is a way to get an intimate look at American history through the eyes of these characters, who range from Frederick Douglass to Mary Todd Lincoln to soldiers, Indians, former slaves and other “outsiders.”
The poems are accessible, and the perspectives offered show the complexities of war and the effects it has on the people involved. One poem is from the point of view of an Indian whose brother died and was quickly forgotten at the Alamo. Another is from James Polk, trying to convince himself he has ample cause for war. A third tells the story of an Irishman who has illegally married a former slave at the end of the Civil War and has fled to East Texas from Mississippi. We hear his side and her side of the story in a compelling narrative. Another poem is from the perspective of a former slave who now is a drummer boy in the Army; and another has Mary Todd speaking to her husband in a poem entitled “Lincoln Speaks After The Bones are Thrown.”
This is a fascinating look at history through the eyes of poetry. I would highly recommend it for anyone who would like a deeper glimpse into America during this time period, and/or any poetry lover who also enjoys history.
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