The Poetry of Michael S. Harper
Michael S. Harper is an influential American poet known for his distinctive rhythmic style that departs from traditional metrical patterns. His poetry is characterized by variable rhythms that reflect a range of human speech, enhanced by techniques such as repetition, internal rhyme, and enjambment, making his work particularly effective when read aloud. Central to Harper's poetry is the theme of connection, exploring the relationships among racial and ethnic groups, individual and collective histories, and geographic locations. His collection "Dear John, Dear Coltrane" pays tribute to jazz and blues musicians, symbolizing both individual and communal achievement. Harper's later works, including "History Is Your Own Heartbeat" and "Debridement," delve deeper into the significance of understanding history as crucial for overcoming misunderstanding and fostering healing. His poetry not only reflects personal experiences but also engages with broader cultural narratives, offering insights into the complexities of the American experience. Harper's contributions extend beyond his books, with numerous publications in journals and anthologies, further establishing his voice in the ongoing dialogue about history and identity.
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Subject Terms
The Poetry of Michael S. Harper
First published:Dear John, Dear Coltrane, 1970; History Is Your Own Heartbeat, 1971; Song: I Want a Witness, 1972; Debridement, 1973; Nightmare Begins Responsibility, 1974; Images of Kin: New and Selected Poems, 1977; Healing Song for the Inner Ear, 1985
The Work
Michael S. Harper is a poet with a strong individual style. His poetry is notable for the variable rhythm of its lines. Harper’s poems echo a variety of human speech patterns and rhythms. This characteristic distinguishes his rhythm from the more traditionally metric patterns of many poets. Harper’s looser rhythms work along with such techniques as repetition, internal rhyme, and enjambment (lines flowing together without pause at the end) to modulate sound in the poem. Sound is important in Harper’s poems; they are most effective when read aloud.
The content of Harper’s poetry reflects a concern with unification. Harper’s poetic speakers explore connections. For Harper, the poem evidences the connections between the poet’s individual utterances and universal concerns that transcend time and place. A major theme through all of Harper’s books is that of connections among racial and ethnic groups. Other major themes include the importance of an awareness of history, the relationship between the individual and the group, and the connections between one geographic location and another.
Harper’s development of these major themes begins in Dear John, Dear Coltrane. The poems in this book pay homage to the greats of jazz and the blues. The musicians also represent individual and collective human achievement, achievement attained and achievement still possible.
The exploration of the individual’s connection to history and possibility continues in History Is Your Own Heartbeat. This second book won the Poetry Award of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters. The idea that an awareness of individual and collective history is essential is further developed in Song: I Want a Witness. In the preface, Harper writes: “Where there is no history/ there is no metaphor.” In other words, an individual ignorant of history has no basis for comparison (metaphors are comparisons), for testing feelings and attitudes.
In Debridement Harper narrows the theme of the importance of history to explore the historical relationships between black and white Americans. The poems collectively suggest that understanding of history is necessary for the individual’s moving beyond misunderstanding and hatred. “Debridement” means surgically removing dead flesh from old wounds so that healing can begin.
In Nightmare Begins Responsibility, Harper metaphorically reviews his own personal history. In his two later books, Images of Kin: New and Selected Poems and Healing Song for the Inner Ear, Harper steps back somewhat from personal history to consider the universal traditions of black and white poets.
In addition to his books of thematically linked poetry, Harper has published in many journals and anthologies. His poems testify in the voice of the American trying to reconcile the past, present, and future of the individual’s relationship with the nation.
Bibliography
Brown, Joseph A. “Their Long Scars Touch Ours: A Reflection on the Poetry of Michael Harper.” Callaloo 9, no. 1 (Winter, 1986): 209-220.
Harper, Michael S. “It Is the Man/Woman Outside Who Judges: The Minority Writer’s Perspective on Literature.” TriQuarterly 65 (Winter, 1986): 57-65.
Lloyd, David. “Interview with Michael S. Harper.” TriQuarterly 65 (Winter, 1986): 119-128.