Poem Analysis (Jackson and McDainels)

Ainsley Jodlbauer

English

Dr.Ellis

11 November 2020

"Anthem for My Belly After Overeating" by  Kara Jacksons' is a poem meant to emphasize the societal outline that is given to women, particularly black women, on their self image. She discusses the problems that arise with where we are at today in regards to one's self esteem. Women today are told that to be wanted, to be pretty, to be valued; they must fit into the cookie cutter shape drawn up for them. Jackson uses the metaphor of a full stomach to bring awareness to the expectation on women to have the “perfect body”. Always remaining slim and fit, a thin waist yet thick thighs; using this as if all women’s bodies are the same and have the ability to shapeshift to these standards. Jackson writes this poem to shed light on the effects these standards have on women emotional, mentally, and psychically. When women are told that their bodies aren't “up to par” with what's expected it destroys their self confidence. Instead of seeing themselves as works of art they are seen as mistakes. She mentions that black women have always had the same difficult standards, keeping an hourglass figure. Jackson tells women they have to praise their body; that they can eat as much as they please without being disgusted by themselves. Through this poem Jackson is breaking down what’s supposed to be “normal” and showing women that they are beautiful in any shape or size. Jackson even stated that she struggles with loving her own stomach because it doesn’t fit society's expectations, but that she works everyday to love herself unconditionally. Jackson shows her readers how important body positivity and self love and body positivity are for every girl in today's day and age.

"The Church of Michael Jordan" by Jeffrey McDaniel is a work that shows how you can find the power of faith through anything, in this regard he gives the example of his hobby; basketball. The narrator is a basketball player that has a ritual of praying before each game. He explains that while some may see it as pointless, he fully understands the impact it has on him and how well he does in his games. He does this without forcing religion on to his readers, which is something that I really appreciated in his work. Instead of saying that you must pray to God in order to do well, he explains what works for him, and why he feels that it has. However he does say that his ability isn’t random, and that God is the reason for this. McDaniel includes metaphors like “I let faith roll off my arms” to show how the ball represents the power God has and how he is with him. He says that the ball is faith and the hoop is God’s arms, so it's like giving God his faith and letting God choose whether to accept it. This poem is a great example of how people can include religion into their everyday lives, and how they are affected by it.

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