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Arielle Saida Dr. Bates English 102 May 18, 2020 Deconstruction CR Text: “A Song in the Front Yard”

Author: Gwendolyn Brooks

1. Checklist question: a. What oppositions exist in the work? Which of the two opposing terms of each pair is the privileged or more powerful term? How is this shown in the work? 2. My thesis statement: In “A Song in the Front Yard” by Gwendolyn Brooks, Brooks uses opposing words to exemplify privilege and power. 3. Three examples: a. “I’ve b. c.

stayed in the front yard all my life.” “I want a peek at the back” “Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows. A girl gets sick of a rose.”

4. Semantic Map: Rose vs. weed and front yard vs backyard Literal Level Rose: Beautiful flower Brings beauty to gardens or yards

Weed: A plant that is considered undesirable

Unwanted

Questions What does a rose symbolically represent? What does a weed symbolically represent

Symbolic Symbolically, being compared to a rose, for example “being as pretty as a rose” is someone calling you beautiful and untouchable and fresh like a new bloom. A rose also represents enchantment and love at first sight Being compared to

weeds is like being someone that no one wants to be around

Front yard:

Inviting and orderly

Back yard:

Poor people

5. Extended explanation: In the poem, Brooks discusses a girl who wants to play in the backyard. She says that she has been stuck in the front yard all her life and wants to have the life. In this poem, the words front yard is seen are more powerful and privileged than the word backyard. The girl says, “I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life.” Literally, a front yard is a place where people can see from the street. Symbolically, a from yard represents order, higher status, wealthiness, and consistency. The girl has been stuck in the front yard her whole life and she has been privileged but she also gets sick of it. The author says, “A girl gets sick of a rose.” Literally, a rose is a beautiful flower. Symbolically only one with money would be able to get “sick” and tired of it. The roses in the front yard are inviting and orderly, showing that the girl is in a wealthy environment. After the girl says she is sick of the roses, she says that she wants to experience the backyard “where its rough and untended and hungry weed grows.” A backyard is literally a place that you can not see from the street and requires an invitation. Since the backyard is usually unseen, it is not kept well, symbolizing poorness and how people can be more care-free due to them not having a high social standing as opposed to those who are wealthy. Symbolically, the backyard is also seen as a place for the ugly in society. Brooks utilizes the backyard as a place where people hide the “ugly” things like “hungry weed.” Literally, a weed is a plant in a place that is usually unwanted. Symbolically, it represents the poor and “dirty” part of society. Overall, the backyard is going to be the inferior part of the house to many. The front yard will be superior in its cleanliness and showing of a social status. However, after further reading into it, the backyard does not always have to be a bad thing, rather, it could fall superior to the front yard. A backyard can be a place to relax and get away from all of societies standards of being “socially fit.” It could be a place to destress and be with your friends and family without society hovering over

your every move. In certain circumstances, the front yard and wealthiness could be inferior. The front yard or more “wealthy” part of society is placed under such specific and crucial standards that many often find themselves wanting to rebel and break free. Furthermore, wealth does define someone’s personality. Someone rich could be rude and disturbing while someone who is poor could be caring, compassionate, and very trusting....