Date of Award

5-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

English

Program

English (MA)

First Advisor/Chairperson

Dr. Patricia Killelea

Abstract

"wait for it to bloom." is a poetry collection of free verse poetry that examines black motherhood and womanhood in order to interrogate the sociopolitical implications of black women’s existence in a patriarchal, capitalistic society. Due to the intersections of our identities, black women face a specific type of discrimination that spans both racism and sexism, among other types of discrimination. The healing properties associated with astronomy and mythology are used as entry points to discuss this trauma, while popular culture is used to address these issues that happen daily in the media directly. This consistent bombardment of prejudice, along with our global society’s inability to acknowledge and properly treat mental illnesses, can cause problems with mental health; black women’s ostracization from each of these communities causes an erasure that spans generations, leading many to suffer in silence. Through intentionality in structure with white space, punctuation, and forward slashes, this collection attempts to remedy the plight of the black women while engaging in a journey of healing and power through language.

Access Type

Open Access

WAIT FOR IT TO BLOOM.docx (66 kB)
Thesis as MS Word document

Thesis Signature Page.pdf (17 kB)

Included in

Poetry Commons

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