At the Centre

1. At the Centre By: Afua Cooper Analysis by: Cecilia and Emily :)

2. Thematic Statement The theme of the poem is finding peace within yourself and discovering your own opinion about yourself.

3. Paraphrasing Today doves flew from my head and my hair grew the longing is gone from my body and I'm filled with peace, perfect peaceNo longer shall I speak of electrocuted poets or the ones who inhaled gas until they danced in the dizziness of death But of brown women who turn the soil with their hands making vegetable gardens and tending fruit trees Today I went into my storehouse selected the choicest oil and anoint my body wrapped myself in the rarest cloth of a deep wine red stood at my front gate and words poured from my mouth in flaming chants Today the craftsman has come to make a design for me of a woman sitting in deep repose with doves flying from her head He has made all the pieces and they fit well together I shall hang it at my window for all the world to see The doves are like a weight that has been lifted from her. When they fly away she is free again. The hair can represent safety and familiarity. Now that it has grown back, the longing for the safety is gone.

4. Today doves flew from my head and my hair grew the longing is gone from my body and I'm filled with peace, perfect peaceNo longer shall I speak of electrocuted poets or the ones who inhaled gas until they danced in the dizziness of deathBut of brown women who turn the soil with their hands making vegetable gardens and tending fruit trees Today I went into my storehouse selected the choicest oil and anoint my body wrapped myself in the rarest cloth of a deep wine red stood at my front gate and words poured from my mouth in flaming chants Today the craftsman has come to make a design for me of a woman sitting in deep repose with doves flying from her head He has made all the pieces and they fit well together I shall hang it at my window for all the world to see • No longer will she think about the dead people and negative things.

5. Today doves flew from my headand my hair grew the longing is gone from my body and I'm filled with peace, perfect peaceNo longer shall I speak of electrocuted poets or the ones who inhaled gas until they danced in the dizziness of death But of brown women who turn the soil with their hands making vegetable gardens and tending fruit treesToday I went into my storehouse selected the choicest oil and anoint my body wrapped myself in the rarest cloth of a deep wine red stood at my front gate and words poured from my mouth in flaming chants Today the craftsman has come to make a design for me of a woman sitting in deep repose with doves flying from her head He has made all the pieces and they fit well together I shall hang it at my window for all the world to see But instead of hard working women that work hard to get to where they are. The grown vegetable garden and ripe fruit on the trees represent their success.

6. Today doves flew from my headand my hair grew the longing is gone from my body and I'm filled with peace, perfect peaceNo longer shall I speak of electrocuted poets or the ones who inhaled gas until they danced in the dizziness of death But of brown women who turn the soil with their hands making vegetable gardens and tending fruit trees Today I went into my storehouse selected the choicest oil and anoint my body wrapped myself in the rarest cloth of a deep wine red stood at my front gate and words poured from my mouth in flaming chants Today the craftsman has come to make a design for me of a woman sitting in deep repose with doves flying from her head He has made all the pieces and they fit well together I shall hang it at my window for all the world to see There might have been something from her past that wax holding her back and now that “the doves flew from my head…and I’m filled with peace,” now she is able to be the hardworking woman in her thoughts.

7. Today doves flew from my headand my hair grew the longing is gone from my body and I'm filled with peace, perfect peaceNo longer shall I speak of electrocuted poets or the ones who inhaled gas until they danced in the dizziness of death But of brown women who turn the soil with their hands making vegetable gardens and tending fruit trees Today I went into my storehouse selected the choicest oil and anoint my body wrapped myself in the rarest cloth of a deep wine red stood at my front gate and words poured from my mouth in flaming chants Today the craftsman has come to make a design for me of a woman sitting in deep repose with doves flying from her headHe has made all the pieces and they fit well together I shall hang it at my window for all the world to see The craftsman represents an old friend or even herself to acknowledge her new self. The design could be a picture, a diploma, or even an opinion that signifies that she can do what she wants now that the “doves flew from her head.”

8. Today doves flew from my headand my hair grew the longing is gone from my body and I'm filled with peace, perfect peaceNo longer shall I speak of electrocuted poets or the ones who inhaled gas until they danced in the dizziness of death But of brown women who turn the soil with their hands making vegetable gardens and tending fruit trees Today I went into my storehouse selected the choicest oil and anoint my body wrapped myself in the rarest cloth of a deep wine red stood at my front gate and words poured from my mouth in flaming chants Today the craftsman has come to make a design for me of a woman sitting in deep repose with doves flying from her head He has made all the pieces and they fit well together I shall hang it at my window for all the world to see His opinion is the final piece that makes everything fit and makes her believe that she has changed and become successful. She is completely free and she tells world by hanging the craftsman’s “design”.

9. Poetic Devices Today doves flew from my head - Metaphor Doves can’t actually fly from your head. Danced in the dizziness of death - AlliterationRepeated the letter “D”. Words poured from my mouth in flaming chants - PersonificationWords don’t actually pour from your mouth. I'm filled with peace - MetaphorYou can’t actually be filled with peace.