Section IX: Magnolia Flowers Summary

"Daybreak in Alabama" (Pg. 157):

The speaker expresses a sense of hope and racial unity in the American South. The operative word in this piece is "composer," which implies that reconciliation between diverse groups of people must be carefully, thoughtfully arranged by one who has a vision which transcends his/her own skin color.

"Mulatto" (Pg. 160):

In this poem, the speaker is a bi-racial man. At one point in history, mixed (black/white) people were known as mulattoes. The term is no longer used, as many view it as being overtly racist. The speaker bemoans the violation of black women at the hands of white men in the South during slavery and perhaps in general. The poem also features the "voices" of the bi-racial man's father and a sibling who is most likely white.

"Ronald Hayes Beaten (Georgia...