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Ka’la Statum Period: 2nd Mrs. Hasker Song analysis #2

'Strange Fruit' --Billie Holiday

Songwriter Abel Europol was a Bronx schoolteacher who wrote a poem in response to a gruesome photo from the Deep South. Invariably described as "chilling" – the "strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees" are the bodies of hanged black men – the song is often noted as a critical catalyst for the civil rights movement. This song protests against lynching.

Strange Fruit written by Abel Meerobol but famously sung by billie holiday. This song was inspired to be written when Abel; the writer saw a photograph of lynching. Lynching wasn’t happening still because the anti-lynch law had already been passed since July 28, 1922. There really wasn’t an intended audience. Abel just simply wanted (some) to notice how brutal lynching was through the form of a song. The subject of "Strange Fruit" is based on an anti-lynching poem by Abel Meeropol that was later adapted into a famous song, "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday. The tone of the song is mistreated because it uses metaphors throughout the whole song show mistreatment towards African –American people. How is imagery used in strange fruits? On one hand in “strange fruit” bore by the southern trees is the symbol of the black people (strange as in different in skin color) that will be ruthlessly killed. There is "blood on the leaves" and "blood at the root", depicting the large amounts of blood shed by these poor black people who have lost their lives to racists.

How are other literary devices used in strange fruits?

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.
 * “Strange Fruit”, is a metaphor to represent the dead bodies that are hanging from the tree. Trees usually represent life, but here is the one growing the death, so it is ironic. The author uses imagery to create the picture of that situation, “blood on leaves and blood at the root, black body swinging in the southern breeze, strange body hanging from the poplar trees.” or “the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth. “Allegory: “blood on twisted mouth”, allegory being hanged from the poplar trees, which are known because of their tallness. Repetition of blood in “blood on leaves and blood at the root.” “Here is fruit for the crows to plunk”, fruit is a metaphor of dead bodies of African American that were hanged from the trees and the scavengers were feeding on them. “Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh, then the sudden smell of burning flesh.” Has contrast between two lines “For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, for the sun to rot, for leaves to drop.” Allegory the passing of the time, and the different the seasons.Bitter crop is a metaphor of the situation and other people, the Americans who hanged them.

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 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 and bitter crop.

Citations: Shmoop Editorial Team. "Strange Fruit Lyrics" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.