Francesca Richardson

Mr. Gallagher Period 4

Amiri Baraka Rewrite

In the poem, “Kenyatta Listening to Mozart” the author, Amiri Baraka, suggests
that poetry is a complex task, that can only be achieved by few who have the ability to
reach into their minds and create such deep messages of love, loss, hate, betrayal and
many other topics through simple structures and words. And how each of these skilled
poets are unique in their techniques. Baraka’s own structure of his poem reflects upon his
purpose. He does this to show the many structures and ways poets may choose to present
in their writing.
In the beginning of his poem, Baraka chooses to present his message in simple
left to right standard reading structure. Although he may have a simple structure, his
words are weaved together with complexity and meaning. At the end of every line, he
breaks before completing his thought. For example, Baraka writes, “warm air blows
cocaine from city/ to river” (lines2-3). The break of the line emphasizes the great distance
the narcotic is traveling. However, the drug Baraka refers to here is a deeper message of
an addiction, a hobby. By “cocaine,” Baraka means the mindset good writers must
possess. This is what gives poetry it’s complexity and depth, from being blown “through
the brains/ of American poets” (lines 3-4). By doing this, Baraka is emphasizing the idea
that poetry cannot be fulfilled by just anyone. A true poet has the “cocaine” in their brain
that gives them the capability of creating their thoughts and emotions through text. In
using a simple structure, Baraka is portraying one way poetry can be written. But with
simple structure comes unique phrases. Later, Baraka displays more of an intricate
structure with simple words put together to present the other way in which poetry can be
written.
Coming into his second stanza, Baraka begins to create a more diverse structure
than before. Here, the stanza begins centered in the layout, with the first line, line 5, and
beginning with the word “separate” isolated from any other words. By doing this, Baraka
is accentuating the customs in which a poet can create a deeper feeling to a simple word.
By isolating the word “separate” its simple meaning is emphasized to the reader. In lines
6 through 7, Baraka again interrupts his thoughts by breaking the line. Baraka writes,
“Spats brush through/undergrowths of fiction.” Looking into the subtext of this line,
which is always present to dissect in any poetry, Baraka is referring to how there are
stories behind a poems purpose that can be from reality or imaginary worlds. Baraka’s
purpose of this is to emphasis that good writers can create poetry through real
experiences they have faced, or even better, through things they have never experienced
in their lives. Imaginations and creativity like this is what makes poetry so magical
Baraka believes. When Baraka writes in parenthesis, “we do not/ write poetry in the rainy
season” (lines 9-10), the ‘we’ he refers to are poets. The reason for this line is to
characterize the people Baraka is speaking of. He is directly referring to them as a whole,
a group with common talents. Like “Mozart,” they are talented, and create masterpieces
with these talents they have.
The last 16 lines of the poem are where Baraka uses his unique ability to create
meaning and purpose through a strict syntactical structure.
“A zoo of consciousness,

Cries and prowlings

Anywhere. Stillnes,
Motion,
Beings that fly, beings
That swim
Exchanging
In-
Formation.
Choice, and
Style,
Avail
And are beautiful
Categories
If you go
For that” (lines 12-27).

It is obvious here that Baraka has changes his style of writing from the first two stanzas
in the poem. Here, Baraka’s lines become more spaced and his words are broken into
shorter lines that create a choppy, slow reading. Baraka does this in order to present to the
reader another way in which poets are artists. However, in these lines, he is also
expressing the talents and processes a poet goes through before coming to a final
masterpiece. “A zoo of consciousness” (line 12) is representative for the thousands of
thoughts and words that scramble around a poets mind when writing a poem. And out of
all those words they may have to use, they have to choose one, one word that will best
give deeper meaning to their poem. And through all of these thoughts, a poem is created.
The “cries and prowlings” mentioned in line 13 are representative of the meanings a poet
strives to drive into the audience’s mind and soul. To be able to do this itself is a
challenge, to have meaning behind it is an even bigger one. Baraka is emphasizing all of
the work and thought a poem is gone through before it is even close to being its grand
piece. The “stillness” (line 14) and “motion” (line 15) are reference to the structure in
which a poem can be written. Although you may not know it, a poem has movement, and
it is shown through by the way in which you read it. All of these choices are made by the
poet, they are not accidents. And of course, “choice and/style” (lines 21-22) are the
different techniques poets have to determine in order to write their thoughts on paper.
Baraka uses this last stanza to express the many tasks a poet faces before creating poetry
through his words, but also through how he presents the stanza itself.
Throughout this poem, Baraka praises poets for their unique abilities that create
such greats works of art people sometimes take for granted. Behind every poem are
thousands of choices put into one line. Underlying every word is a purpose of why it was
chosen instead of another. Baraka’s title of this poem connects to his message because
“Kenyatta” and “Mozart” are two very different customs. Kenyatta is of African decent
while Mozart is German. No matter how different the two are, they are still unique and
pieces of art in their own way. Like poetry, they have meaning behind them, and people
who created them. No matter how talented a composer is, there will be another Mozart.
Just how each poem written is one in a million, no same stories, thoughts, choices, style,
structure or meaning is repeated. Each is its own piece of art formed by a skillful poet
that is unlike any other.