Chapter 8 "Song of the Son" Summary

"Song of the Son" is a five stanza, rhyming poem. Each stanza has five lines. The poem opens with the mention of a 'parting soul' outside at night in a valley. The landscape is described just before sunset. The narrator also talks of the sun setting on the slaves who frequently used songs as a form of expression. The narrator expresses an interest in remembering and figuratively staying connected with the slaves who had worked the land in previous generations.

Chapter 8 "Song of the Son" Analysis

In Toomer's era, slavery had already been outlawed, but this poem presents the importance and ongoing relevance of the slave experience, particularly to an African American in a farming community. The narrator wishes to keep those memories of his people alive in the form of song. One...