Sewing

Sewing symbolizes reparative work. In the poem, the speaker says, "Someone is stitching up a hem, darning / a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, / repairing the things in need of repair" (7-9). Here, the speaker encompasses a number of different jobs that would require a type of sewing – from a tailor to a mother to a car mechanic. In so doing, the poem suggests that reparative work is multifaceted and crucial to the ongoing prosperity of the country, ultimately implying that the inauguration of Barack Obama itself is a form of reparation for the country.

Music

Music symbolizes creativity. The speaker says that "Someone is trying to make music somewhere, / with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum, / with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice" (10-12). Just like the description of sewing, this description of music contains a variety of creative modes. The poem...