Dinner Guest, Second Entry

Social screeds or political poems often are pedantic. I'd name some to prove my point, but can't off the top of my head--later, I'll try to prove it. However, this "Dinner Guest" makes an important point about society in a friendly, humorous manner. Sure, the imagery is part of that, as is the setting, but the tone is established in large part by his use of rhythm and rhyme.

The rhythm is fast, with either 2 or 3 hard beats per line. There's a pattern, but it's not obvious or regular. It sounds breezy, unconcerned, not ponderous or preachy. The rhyme is simplistic--dined/mind, way/USA, night/white--and irregular, keeping the poem from becoming sing songy or nursey rhyme-ish. The commonness of the rhyming words enhances the breezy tone, but it's deceptive; hints of hoity-toity culture seep in, with "damask" and "fraises du bois." The speaker in the poem (which may or may not be based on Hughes) is common folk, using common language, but he can make small talk with the white liberals who are demurely probing their guest, the mouthpiece of all African-Americans, so they can understand "The Negro Problem."

The language sets a tone that is gently ironic, poking fun not only at the hosts but also at the guest, who acknowledges that he's enjoying his moment of fame as he sips his wine and nibbles the lobster. Even the ending twist, where the guest acknowledges that the whole evening is just a way of passing time, with no serious intent to address the issue, keeps with the light toned rhythm and rhyme even as a pointed bard sticks through the words.

Rhythm and rhyme create a tone that sets the scene and draws the reader into consideration of potentially uneasy questions with an inviting lilt. "Dinner Guest" is strong proof that social commentary can be poetic and incisive while still making important points.