After you my dear alphonse deals with the theme of prejudice racism well, but i think the song strange fruit is more powerful and gets the theme across more. Poem analysis the poem strange fruit by abel meeropol is very dark and twisted as it paints a mental picture of past events in southern usa. Provides possible basis for the name of hip hop group strange fruit project. Strange fruit brings the story behind a song about racism and lynching to a new audience. After writing it, meeropol put music to his lyrics and the song gained attention in new york. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. The song strange fruit was written by lewis allan and was first released by billie holiday and her orchestra in 1939. Strange fruit southern trees bear strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees pastoral scene of the gallant south the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh then the sudden smell of burning flesh here is fruit for. I then ask them to read the poem again while annotating for figurative language and meaning rl. Cover versions of strange fruit written by lewis allan. Tpcastt title paraphrase connotation attitude shift in attitude title theme strange fruit abel meeropol was born into a jewish family on 10th february, 1903. Strange fruit by david margolick books the guardian. Verdict this is not an easy book, but it is powerfuljust like its theme.
The strange story of the man behind strange fruit one of billie holidays most iconic songs is strange fruit, a haunting protest against the inhumanity of. This lesson focuses on billie holidays signature song, strange fruit, a protest song lewis allen abel meeropol wrote in 1938 about the ongoing and intransigent problem of lynching in the american south. Originally using the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit prior to its publication. Strange fruit billie holiday strange fruit is a song famously sung by billie holiday, first recorded by holiday in 1939.
The picture is a black and white window to a tragic and unforgivable event. Strange fruit is the bestselling debut novel by american author lillian smith 18971966, that deals with the then forbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. Strange fruit 1944 lilian smiths 1944 novel deals with the racial tensions of the time just, as meeropols song did, though it engages the reader with a tale of the interracial romance between a white man and a black woman. What is so remarkable about strange fruit is how indelible a mark it made on american society so soon after its release. There are poems of brutally honest selfscrutiny the heart of the collection being a. The original protest song rhyme abel meeropol, 1939 the meaning of the poem is lynchings in the south during the civil rights era. Strange fruit is a brutal, haunting dirge, especially in billie holidays iconic version. Ninth grade lesson students take an analytic bite out of. Strange fruit turns the story behind a jazz song about lynching. After asking students to assess the role music plays in their own lives, the lesson introduces some background information about lynching. Originally given the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit prior to its publication. Strange fruit is a song recorded by billie holiday in 1939, written by abel meeropol and published in 1937.
Popularized by billie holiday in 1939, strange fruit is a song about racism that vividly describes a scene after a lynching the strange fruit is the black man hanging from it. Strange fruit novel strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. Samuel grafton, a columnist for the new york post, wrote of. Lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. After he published strange fruit in a teachers union publication, meeropol composed it into a song and passed it onto a nightclub owner, who then introduced it to holiday. Book pagestrange fruit explores how just 12 lines of lyrics andan. Lynching was a conspicuous theme in black fiction, theater, and art, but not in music. Strange fruit the story behind the song of the century duration. But a combination of skilful use of literary techniques and a powerful delivery have served to make stranger fruit a memorable masterpiece. Strange fruit is a novel that portrays an interracial relationship in the south.
Strange fruit originated as a poem written by jewishamerican writer, teacher and songwriter abel meeropol, under his pseudonym lewis allan, as a protest against lynchings. I next read the poem aloud while students read silently. The biography of a song does a great job of dispelling the myths about the song and pinpointing the truth about one of the most famous american songs of the 20th century. Four black teens were arrested for the alleged rape of a young white woman, mary ball, and murder of a young white man, claude deeter. Billie holidays 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. Billy holliday has the perfect voice for this song. Strange fruit song analysis draft ballades, beats and. Strange fruit poem by natasha maginleyfrancis poem hunter. A novel by lillian smith by lillian eugenia smith and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Being based in reality, although reality means nothing to some.
The lynching that inspired billie holidays strange fruit. Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck, for the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, for the sun to rot, for a tree to drop, here is a strange and. Record producer ahmet ertegun called the song a declaration of war, and jazz writer leonard feather said it was the first significant protest in words and music, the first unmuted cry against racism. In general the poem addresses to the cruelty of the kuklux klan towards black people in early 1900s in southern america. It focuses on the dehumanization of african americans in the south by the themes of segregation, hair, and religion. Strange fruit is a courageous debut with a remarkable range in theme and tone, from the nostalgic to the comedic to the bawdy, and to the angry, the melancholic and the steadfast and comforting. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday, who. Strange fruitwritten first as a poem by jewish schoolteacher abel meeropol 19031986 in the late 1930s, strange fruit captures the haunting and violent history of lynching in america. Uncelebrated narratives from black history, volume 1 is indubitably a work of love. Two writers that deal with theme of prejudice and racism effectively are shirley jackson in the short story after you my dear alphonse and billie holiday in the song strange fruit.
The poem refers to lynching, which is the act of hanging african americans, slaves and other protestors in public venues for a spectacle. Not only that but it also does a great job at pinpointing why the song still has a shroud of mystery about it, and how it impacted generations of african. Strange fruit was an early cry for civil rightssome might even say it was the beginning of the civil rights movement. Written by a white, jewish high school teacher from the bronx and a member of the communist party, abel meeropol wrote it as a protest poem, exposing american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans. Strange fruit, the haunting song about lynching in america that was. Pastoral scene of the gallant south, the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, then the sudden smell of burning flesh. The poem specifically focuses on the horrific lynchings that took place primarily across the american south, in which black individuals were brutally tortured and murderedand often strung up from trees to be gawked atby white supremacists. It is a very interesting and somewhat disturbing song. After working out an arrangement with vocalion records, the song strange fruit was released in 1939 and made over a million dollars strange fruit. Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the. As the original protest song strange fruit was a leap into the unknown for abel meeropol, and an even bigger one for billie holiday. Strange fruit, the haunting song about lynching in america that was written more than 60 years ago, was first recorded by the famed jazz singer billie holiday in 1939. Here is fruit for the crows to pluck, for the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, for the sun to rot, for the trees to drop, here is a strange. Billie holiday was not the fist singer to perform strange fruit.
Strange fruit is the reoccuring metaphor in the novel. Southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. It protested american racism, particularly the lynching of black americans. Considering the songs release date of 1939, it seems remarkable that it was ever recorded, much less that it became. But few know that its three short antiracist verses were written by a white new york schoolteacher or that it contributed to. In the poem, meeropol expressed his horror at lynchings, inspired by lawrence beitlers photograph of the 1930 lynching of thomas shipp and abram smith in marion, indiana.
Strange fruits complicated, controversial place in comics. The theme of the strange fruit poem is cruelty and injustice and the mood of the poem is sad and heartbreaking. Right after the israelites settlement in the promised land, they are to set up large stones, coat them with plaster, and write on them the words of gods teaching. Strange fruit has been called the original protest song.
Annie lennox whitewashes explanation of strange fruit. Billie holiday was a famous blues sin slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Strange fruit is one of the most potent protest songs ever written. Record producer ahmet ertegun called the song a declaration of war, and jazz writer leonard feather said it was the first significant protest in. You must have a great teacher that presents this kind of. Southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swayin in the southern breeze strange fruit hangin from the poplar trees. Strange fruit refers to the cruel practice of lynching in the novel. The biography of a song from the worlds largest community of readers. Billie holiday didnt write strange fruit, but her voice made it the song it is today. Pastoral scene of the gallant south, the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, scent of magnolia sweet and fresh, and the sudden smell of burning flesh.
The trees will drop them, this foul and unusual crop. Strange fruit, written by jewish schoolteacher abel meeropol in 1937, takes a harrowing and unflinching look at american racism. A strange fruit, i am simply because i am a black man some say i have no core, i do not have a seed so perhaps, just by chance i am a strange fruit indeed the juice that seeps from me is neither sweet nor sour this juice that runs from me makes me no good to eat this strange fruit hangs from a tree, motionless like a dry leaf i hang here. In our day, many african americans, people of color, and whites believe that the strange fruit of black bodies are. It will delight, shock, anger, induce laughter, shock more, delight more. Strange fruit billie holiday signature song the official website of.
Earmarked as oneofakind, this graphic novel is not only an additional masterpiece to black history, but also a delightfully educational read for both young and old. The tragic story behind billie holidays strange fruit. Strange fruits publisher, boom studios, is a smaller imprint than marvel and dc, with a mission of publishing a wider array of nonsuperhero stories since setting up shop in 2005. So the main message of the poem is that people are equal regardless of their races and they have to be. In her autobiography, singer billie holiday wrote that smith chose to name the book after her song.
Themes in strange fruit include racism, interracial romance, and how racism affected the people and community around it. Strange fruit is a song recorded by billie holiday in 1939, written by abel meeropol and. In an extract from his history of protest songs, dorian lynskey explores the power of strange fruit. In chapter 27 of deuteronomy, moses prescribes a covenant ritual to be enacted when israel takes possession of its new home. After leaving college he became a teacher in new york city. Strange fruit was praised for its concise yet strong description of the brutal treatment given to. Such lynchings had reached a peak in the southern united states at the turn of the century, and the great majority of victims were black. Strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance.
Theme the horror and inhumanity of american racism. In billie holidays day, the strange fruit of black bodies was due to their bodies having been unjustly hanged on the lynching tree. Meeropol was also a writer and worried about antisemitism and. Now i pass out the poem strange fruit and the tpcasst poem analysis template. Literary devices blood on the leaves, blood on the roots, black body swinging in the southern breeze. The songs lyrics are an extended metaphor linking a trees fruit with. When challenged, holidaywhose autobiography had been ghostwritten by william duftyclaimed, i aint never read that book. Strange fruit was originally composed in protest of lynching by abel meerpol in 1937 after viewing this famous photograph. Holiday first recorded it on this day in 1939, less than a month after first performing it at the. I first ask students to write a sentence under predicting the title from their journal responses.
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