For Black History Month February 11, 2022 I decided to discuss "Miryam Magdalit" by Jeremy Teddy Karn's chapbook from the New Generation African Poet Collection. He's a contemporary poet from Liberia living in the city of Monrovia. He lived through the Liberian Civil War. The chapbook is written as a series of poems about Miryam Magdalit, the woman who followed Jesus. Like the photo below, which looks like a UFO but is a bench around a garden, the chapbook looks like one thing but is another. It is accomplished by metaphor. A metaphor is a symbol for something that is used instead of what it is.
SeeMost of the poems in the chapbook talk about the abuse of women and the suffering of the poet's mother, while painting the aftermath of war on the population.
A specific poem by Jeremy Teddy Karn "The Anthonym of a Country's Name" is similarly metaphorical. He speaks of Liberia as if parsing the word but instead talks about the loss of life during the CIvil War and how difficult it becomes to discuss war. With Russia invading Ukkraine, I expect this is an difficulty many have.
Assignment: Write about the words in your country's name.
See below to learn about other Liberian poets:
A specific poem by Jeremy Teddy Karn "The Anthonym of a Country's Name" is similarly metaphorical. He speaks of Liberia as if parsing the word but instead talks about the loss of life during the CIvil War and how difficult it becomes to discuss war. With Russia invading Ukkraine, I expect this is an difficulty many have.
Assignment: Write about the words in your country's name.
See below to learn about other Liberian poets:
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