An Introduction to Literature: Fiction / Poetry / Drama. 6th ed. Ed. Alice S. Landy and William Rodney Allen.

By Sterling Brown

Response by Angela Fushtey
 

This is a 112 line narrative poem written by Sterling Brown who is interested in black folk life.  This poem is written in a way that I had to read it out loud to understand what was going on.  Because although I understand the language all to well I am not familiar with it written on paper.

It is stated that Slim in Hell is "based on a simple joke".  Being the slacker I am I did not get the joke until reading the poem for a third time.

This poem is about a man who has gone to Heaven and is having a discussion with Saint Peter.  St. Pater tells Slim to put on wings and go and visit Hell which Slim does.  Slim than comes back to Heaven and is told to go back to Earth because he is to dumb to stay in Heaven.  The emphasis of the poem is not on the actual story but more based on the style of writing that might be said to be as black folk from that time era would talk.
 
 

Click HERE to go back to my main page.