Cherice Franklin
Commitments by Essex Hemphill
Essex Hemphill’s poem Commitments expresses his feelings of being left out during family gatherings and how in each photograph that he is in he feels that it is necessary to act his role within his familial position. For example, he says that in one of the photographs he’ll smile while surrounded by family members like nieces, nephews, and cousins, but he may be suffering internally with loneliness and mixed emotions about his sexual orientation. Hemphill uses a detailed imagery in his poem when he describes his family gatherings, such as when he refers to the red and white checkered table cloth, the white paper plates, and the grilled chicken which helps his audience to identify with similar and intimate situations. Even though part of Hemphill feels remorse for not being able to bring his lover to the family gathering or present a child of his own, at the end of the poem he says “I smile as I serve my duty.” Indicating that he is committed to the role that he plays within his family structure.
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