“A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

“A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps, first appeared in 1943 in his poetry collection titled Personals, uses agricultural imagery and extended metaphor to reflect on the hardships, generational struggle, and deferred rewards faced by African Americans. In a deeply resonant narrative voice, Bontemps highlights themes of labor, sacrifice, and the inherent inequalities in reaping what one sows, drawing a symbolic parallel between the Black experience and a sense of unrewarded labor. The speaker expresses the frustration of sowing seeds only to see his efforts appropriated, with scant benefits reaching his descendants. This vivid portrayal of unfulfilled dreams underscores the historical and social realities of oppression, making Bontemps’ work a compelling testament to endurance in the face of adversity.

Text: “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

Annotations: “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

Line	Text	Annotation & Literary Devices
1	“I have sown beside all waters in my day.”	Metaphor: “sown beside all waters” suggests tireless effort and perseverance. Symbolism: “waters” symbolizes all possible lands, implying that the speaker has invested in all opportunities.
2	“I planted deep, within my heart the fear”	Personification: Giving human attributes to the act of planting “fear” in the heart, highlighting the emotional weight of his labor. Metaphor: “planted deep” implies a long-standing concern.
3	“that wind or fowl would take the grain away.”	Imagery: “wind or fowl” creates a visual of nature’s uncontrollable forces. Symbolism: “wind or fowl” represents external threats or forces that prevent him from reaping the rewards.
4	“I planted safe against this stark, lean year.”	Foreshadowing: Anticipates hardship or loss. Imagery: “stark, lean year” paints a picture of scarcity, emphasizing his cautiousness against potential misfortune.
5	“I scattered seed enough to plant the land”	Hyperbole: “enough to plant the land” from Canada to Mexico exaggerates his efforts, stressing his extensive labor and investment.
6	“in rows from Canada to Mexico”	Symbolism: “Canada to Mexico” suggests the expansiveness of his work, implying that his labor spans borders and generations.
7	“but for my reaping only what the hand”	Contrast: Between his extensive efforts and the minimal return (“only what the hand can hold”). Irony: His efforts yield little despite his hard work.
8	“can hold at once is all that I can show.”	Imagery: “hand can hold” evokes a small, pitiful amount, symbolizing how little he has to show for his labor. Symbolism: Reflects the disappointment of unfulfilled promises and lack of justice.
9	“Yet what I sowed and what the orchard yields”	Metaphor: “what the orchard yields” suggests generational fruits or rewards of labor. Irony: The orchard yields much, yet he receives little.
10	“my brother’s sons are gathering stalk and root;”	Metonymy: “my brother’s sons” symbolizes others benefiting from his labor. Irony: Although he did the work, others reap the benefits.
11	“small wonder then my children glean in fields”	Allusion: “glean” references the act of collecting leftovers, suggesting his children receive only scraps. Imagery: Paints a picture of inequality and suffering.
12	“they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit.”	Metaphor: “bitter fruit” symbolizes the harsh outcomes or injustices his children face. Irony: Despite not planting, his children face the consequences of systemic inequities. Alliteration: “feed on bitter fruit” emphasizes the bitterness of the outcomes.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

Device	Example	Explanation
Allusion	“my children glean in fields”	“Glean” alludes to the Biblical act of gathering leftovers, symbolizing the small, unfair share his descendants receive.
Assonance	“I planted deep, within my heart the fear”	The long “e” sound in “deep” and “fear” adds a sense of dread and depth to the line, enhancing the emotional tone.
Contrast	“scattered seed enough” vs. “only what the hand can hold”	A strong contrast between the speaker’s extensive effort and the meager returns, emphasizing the unfairness of his experience.
End-stopped line	“I planted deep, within my heart the fear”	The line ends with a complete thought, using punctuation to convey a moment of finality and personal emotion.
Extended Metaphor	The entire poem compares labor and reaping with African American life	The metaphor of farming represents the speaker’s life struggles, conveying the sense of hard work without due reward.
Foreshadowing	“I planted safe against this stark, lean year.”	This line hints at future hardship, revealing the speaker’s precautionary actions against anticipated loss.
Hyperbole	“seed enough to plant the land in rows from Canada to Mexico”	This exaggeration emphasizes the vast effort he put into his labor, spanning “from Canada to Mexico.”
Imagery	“my children glean in fields they have not sown”	Evokes a visual image of children laboring in fields, illustrating the generational nature of his suffering.
Irony	“what I sowed and what the orchard yields”	Despite sowing seeds, he cannot enjoy the yield; instead, others benefit, highlighting the irony of his labor.
Metaphor	“I have sown beside all waters in my day”	The act of “sowing beside all waters” symbolizes his extensive and diligent efforts in life.
Metonymy	“my brother’s sons”	This phrase stands in for the broader community benefiting from the speaker’s labor, suggesting family but representing outsiders as well.
Mood	Somber and reflective throughout the poem	The mood of the poem is created through dark imagery and the speaker’s feelings of injustice, evoking empathy and sorrow.
Personification	“I planted deep, within my heart the fear”	Fear is given human qualities, suggesting it is something he carefully guards and anticipates.
Repetition	“I planted…I planted”	The repetition of “I planted” emphasizes his continual labor and investment, underscoring his dedication.
Rhyme Scheme	ABAB rhyme scheme in each quatrain	Each stanza follows an ABAB rhyme pattern, adding musicality and structure to the poem, while giving it a traditional form.
Simile	Not directly used in this poem	Bontemps avoids similes, instead relying heavily on metaphor and direct comparison for impact.
Symbolism	“bitter fruit”	The “bitter fruit” symbolizes the harsh, unjust consequences his descendants face, capturing the disappointment of deferred rewards.
Tone	Serious, mournful, and reflective	The tone conveys a sense of sorrow and injustice, appropriate for the themes of unrecognized labor and generational struggle.
Understatement	“only what the hand can hold”	An understatement that highlights the small amount he gains from his labor, contrasting with the grand scale of his efforts.

Themes: “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

1. Injustice and Inequality of Labor: A prevailing theme in the poem is the disparity between labor and reward, symbolizing systemic injustices faced by African Americans. The speaker invests enormous effort, “scattered seed enough to plant the land / in rows from Canada to Mexico,” yet receives only “what the hand can hold” as a reward. This stark contrast underscores the bitterness of performing hard work only to see others benefit from it. Bontemps uses this inequality to critique social and racial injustices that rob individuals of the fruits of their labor.
2. Generational Struggle and Legacy: Bontemps captures the theme of generational struggle by illustrating how the speaker’s descendants inherit hardships rather than rewards. In the lines, “small wonder then my children glean in fields / they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit,” he conveys a sense of inherited suffering, suggesting that the oppression and limited gains of one generation become the harsh reality for the next. This continuation of hardship reflects the ongoing impact of systemic inequality, where progress and benefits are withheld from those who work hardest.
3. Unfulfilled Dreams and Disappointment: The speaker’s tone reveals a deep sense of disappointment and resignation as his dreams of a plentiful harvest go unfulfilled. Despite his extensive labor, symbolized by planting “beside all waters” and protecting against “this stark, lean year,” he only reaps a minimal return. This sentiment reflects the frustration of African Americans who strive for better lives but are thwarted by societal barriers. Bontemps captures the universal feeling of disappointment that arises when one’s best efforts fail to yield expected rewards, touching on the heartache of dreams deferred.
4. Fear and Precaution Against Loss: Embedded in the poem is a theme of fear, where the speaker expresses a persistent worry about his efforts being in vain. He plants “deep, within [his] heart the fear / that wind or fowl would take the grain away,” illustrating an underlying anxiety that his hard work will be stolen or destroyed by uncontrollable forces. This fear represents the precarious position of African Americans, whose labor and aspirations are often threatened by systemic barriers. Bontemps uses this theme to underscore the insecurity that accompanies the pursuit of progress in a society rife with obstacles to equality.

Literary Theories and “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

Literary Theory	Application to the Poem	References from the Poem
Marxist Theory	Marxist theory examines class struggles, economic inequality, and power dynamics, which align with the poem’s themes of labor exploitation and unequal reward. The speaker’s extensive labor, “scattered seed enough to plant the land in rows from Canada to Mexico,” highlights the worker’s toil, while his meager return, “only what the hand can hold,” underscores economic disparity. This theory sheds light on how systemic structures prevent African Americans from gaining full benefits for their labor, symbolizing class-based exploitation and racialized economic injustice.	“I scattered seed enough to plant the land… but for my reaping only what the hand can hold” illustrates the inequality between labor and reward, key to Marxist analysis.
Postcolonial Theory	Postcolonial theory examines themes of oppression, cultural legacy, and the effects of colonialism, all of which resonate with the African American experience depicted in the poem. The speaker’s hard labor with limited gains reflects the impact of a system that withholds benefits from marginalized communities. The imagery of “children glean in fields they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit” conveys the legacy of systemic discrimination and exploitation, mirroring the continued suffering of the colonized or oppressed generations.	“My children glean in fields they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit” symbolizes the inheritance of hardship and exploitation, linking to postcolonial themes of generational struggle.
African American Literary Theory	African American Literary Theory focuses on Black identity, history, and the unique cultural experiences of African Americans, especially around themes of oppression, resilience, and racial injustice. The poem’s metaphor of sowing and reaping explores these themes by connecting Black labor with unrecognized or appropriated rewards. Bontemps’ choice to depict “bitter fruit” for future generations highlights the enduring struggle of African Americans to gain equal access and respect in society. This theory contextualizes the poem as a commentary on racial oppression and African American endurance.	“I planted deep, within my heart the fear” and “bitter fruit” both reflect the persistent fears and struggles tied to African American experiences of labor, endurance, and racial inequality.

Critical Questions about “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

• How does Bontemps use agricultural imagery to symbolize the struggles of African Americans?
• Bontemps uses agricultural metaphors throughout the poem to represent the enduring labor and subsequent hardship faced by African Americans. For example, the speaker mentions, “I have sown beside all waters in my day,” which symbolizes his diligent and widespread efforts. Despite this, he reaps “only what the hand can hold,” suggesting that no matter how much he invests, his returns are minimal. This agricultural imagery highlights how Black individuals and communities have long been forced to work under oppressive conditions without receiving due reward, capturing the injustices of systemic inequality.
• What role does generational impact play in the poem, and how does it affect the speaker’s perspective?
• The theme of generational impact is central to the poem, with the speaker reflecting on how his labor does not directly benefit his descendants. Instead, he sees “my children glean in fields they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit,” indicating that his children suffer the consequences of his limited gains rather than reaping any benefits. This generational burden symbolizes how systemic oppression affects not only the individual but also future generations, leaving them with the remnants of unrecognized labor. The speaker’s tone of resignation suggests a tragic acceptance of this unchangeable reality.
• How does Bontemps convey the speaker’s sense of fear and caution in the face of inevitable loss?
• Bontemps infuses the poem with a sense of fear, revealing the speaker’s cautious outlook on his life’s work. In the line “I planted deep, within my heart the fear that wind or fowl would take the grain away,” the speaker’s planting of “fear” implies an emotional burden, underscoring his awareness of the forces that threaten his efforts. This fear reflects the precariousness of African American progress in a society where opportunities can be swiftly stripped away. The speaker’s cautious approach highlights his sense of vulnerability in the face of a world where rewards can be unjustly taken.
• What does the metaphor of “bitter fruit” represent in the context of the poem’s social critique?
• The “bitter fruit” in the closing lines of the poem represents the painful outcomes and limited rewards passed down to future generations. Rather than inheriting the benefits of his hard work, the speaker’s descendants are left to “feed on bitter fruit,” symbolizing the bitterness of a life filled with unrecognized and unrewarded labor. This metaphor serves as a powerful social critique, reflecting how systemic inequality and racism prevent African Americans from reaping the fruits of their efforts. By using “bitter fruit,” Bontemps emphasizes the harsh reality of generations who continue to endure hardship, embodying the consequences of an unjust system.

Literary Works Similar to “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

1. “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
   This poem shares themes of struggle and confinement, using the image of a caged bird to symbolize the oppression and unfulfilled aspirations of African Americans.
2. “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay
   McKay’s poem speaks to resistance in the face of racial injustice, portraying the strength and defiance needed to endure and fight against oppression, much like Bontemps’ portrayal of perseverance.
3. “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes
   Hughes explores the consequences of postponed dreams and unfulfilled aspirations, echoing Bontemps’ theme of unrecognized labor and its impact on future generations.
4. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes
   This poem reflects the resilience and deep-rooted history of African Americans, similar to Bontemps’ use of agricultural imagery to symbolize generational endurance and hardship.
5. “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
   Dunbar’s work discusses the hidden pain and resilience of Black individuals, paralleling Bontemps’ exploration of labor, fear, and the legacy of struggle.

Representative Quotations of “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“I have sown beside all waters in my day.”	The speaker begins by noting the breadth of his labor, suggesting relentless effort and dedication to his work and life.	Marxist Theory – Highlights the laboring class’s tireless efforts despite limited reward.
“I planted deep, within my heart the fear”	This line reveals the speaker’s internalized fear, reflecting an awareness that his labor might go unrewarded or be taken away.	Psychoanalytic Theory – Explores how fear has rooted itself within the psyche, affecting behavior and expectations.
“that wind or fowl would take the grain away.”	The speaker fears natural forces symbolizing threats to his achievements, representing the vulnerability of Black labor.	African American Literary Theory – Conveys systemic threats that undermine African American progress.
“I planted safe against this stark, lean year.”	The speaker’s cautious approach reflects his forethought and preparation for inevitable hardship or scarcity.	Postcolonial Theory – Illustrates the careful, defensive stance necessitated by a history of exploitation.
“I scattered seed enough to plant the land”	He exaggerates the scale of his labor, indicating the vast effort he has invested.	Marxist Theory – Emphasizes the working class’s immense labor and unacknowledged contributions to society.
“but for my reaping only what the hand can hold.”	Despite extensive work, his yield is meager, symbolizing systemic inequity in rewards for labor.	Marxist Theory – Reflects economic exploitation where effort is disproportionate to reward.
“my brother’s sons are gathering stalk and root”	This line suggests that others, symbolized by “brother’s sons,” benefit from the speaker’s labor rather than his own children.	African American Literary Theory – Addresses the appropriation of African American labor by others.
“small wonder then my children glean in fields”	The speaker’s children inherit only remnants of his labor, reinforcing a generational cycle of hardship and unfulfilled gains.	Postcolonial Theory – Highlights generational inequality and how colonial structures pass down poverty.
“they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit.”	His children face the harsh results of an unfair system, forced to “feed on bitter fruit” despite not sowing the seeds of struggle.	African American Literary Theory – Demonstrates inherited suffering within oppressed communities.
“what I sowed and what the orchard yields”	The speaker contrasts his labor with the orchard’s bounty, suggesting a disconnect between effort and rightful reward.	Marxist Theory – Examines alienation of labor, where the fruits of work benefit others more than the laborer.

Suggested Readings: “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” by Arna Bontemps

1. Conroy, Jack. “Memories of Arna Bontemps: Friend and Collaborator.” Negro American Literature Forum, vol. 10, no. 2, 1976, pp. 53–57. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3041206. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
2. Singleton, Gregory Holmes. “Birth, Rebirth, and the ‘New Negro’ of the 1920s.” Phylon (1960-), vol. 43, no. 1, 1982, pp. 29–45. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/274597. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
3. Perry, Imani. “Occupying the Universal, Embodying the Subject: African American Literary Jurisprudence.” Law and Literature, vol. 17, no. 1, 2005, pp. 97–129. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1525/lal.2005.17.1.97. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
4. Canaday, Nicholas. “Arna Bontemps: The Louisiana Heritage.” Callaloo, no. 11/13, 1981, pp. 163–69. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3043851. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.