In chapter 2 of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass talks about the songs of the slaves. Many non-slaves mistakenly took the slaves’ singing as a sign that they were happy, but Douglass tells his readers that “They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains,” (p. 18). Listen to one of the songs below and react to it: What words, phrases, or images stick out to you as you listen? What does the song remind you of?
sophia ivanoff
11/30/2023 04:44:52 pm
roll, jordan, roll reminds me of a form of revenge from death/ respect for theyre family/frieds dreaths. wade in the water reminds me of kinda like god's gonna help them escape, and go down moses i guess is them asking god for help
elliott
12/1/2023 04:48:40 pm
go down Moses seems like a way to tell a story, but also whens its saying "let my people go" i think the slaves would try to relate to that. they were also asking god to free them from slavery with this song. it sort of reminds me of the old song we used to sing in Sunday school "pharaoh pharaoh." that song is sort of cheesy don't listen to it.
Olivia Tangeman
12/3/2023 04:25:32 pm
Go Down Moses makes me think that the slaves related to the Isrealites (I don't know how to spell that) and when they sang about Moses asking the pharaoh to let his people go they were asking to leave as well. It reminds of a song I don't remember the name of I sang in sunday school.
Elise
12/3/2023 06:49:11 pm
The song Roll Jordan Roll, sounds like a praise to god because of the hallelujah, but there is a somewhat sad tone to it, like it is almost a plea to be saved.
Liyahh
12/4/2023 02:23:29 pm
There is a line in Roll Jordan Roll, the quote says “and my bible says so too”. I like that because they are claiming the Bible as theirs, they are showing that that Bible is what they worship and believe in. Comments are closed.
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Composition: 8th GradeGuidelinesThe whole purpose of this assignment - whether you're reacting to an idea, sharing your own story, or analyzing the reading - is to discuss the ultimate issues of life. With that in mind, make sure that you: Archives
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