20 pages • 40 minutes read
Dirt
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Literary Devices
Free Verse
Free verse refers to poetry that is written without a regular or obvious rhyme scheme or form. Contemporary poets often employ free verse to mimic typical speech patterns, making them more accessible to readers. The speaker of “Dirt” is likely a person who would have little or no formal education and would speak with a natural, informal cadence. This unpolished speech is no less powerful for its informality.
The Choral Pronoun “We”
The speaker of “Dirt” speaks not only for themselves but for a larger community. They never name that community but rather explain what members of that community have done or been forced to do. The quote from August Wilson’s play infers that the speaker represents all enslaved Africans and their descendants, since Wilson and the characters of The Piano Lesson were part of that community. However, the ambiguity of “we” allows the reader to infer that it might refer to anyone who labors chiefly for someone else’s gain. Using “we” instead of “I” or focusing in on a specific person echoes a theme of generational or societal identity. The speakers remember and are still affected by the experiences of their ancestors and are determined to leave a plot of land to their descendants. They recognize that they are not individually oppressed but oppressed alongside one another. They take power from their bond as people with a similar plight and desire to overcome.
Imagery and Metaphor
“Dirt” references centuries of forced labor in a short space. Dawes relies on powerful images to evoke feelings and the use of metaphor to represent larger histories. “The ritual of trees” (Line 17) conjures an image of trees along with the fruit-bearing cycle that occurs over the years. The trees blossom in spring, fruit ripens in summer, they are harvested in fall, and in winter the trees go bare. This is a year-long ritual that repeats throughout our lives. Dawes represents it in a single phrase.
The image of people fleeing with a “sword / at our backs” (Lines 21-22) tells a longer story of forced exile and the endurance of violence and servitude. There are many instances throughout history of people fleeing violence. Dawes embodies that long history into a single metaphor of the sword.
Lastly, the speaker vows:
we
will walk naked and filthy
into the open field knowing
only that this piece of dirt,
this expanse of nothing,
is the earnest of our faith
in the idea of tomorrow (Lines 23-29).
This image represents the eternal hope and struggle of generations pursuing freedom, the ability to control one’s destiny. Walking is a metaphor for enduring and moving forward. Being “naked and filthy” may refer to endless months and years of backbreaking work, becoming naked and filthy, but it also represents the condition of working with no reward, few physical comforts, while being denigrated by others.
The speaker makes the final metaphor clear:
this piece of dirt,
this expanse of nothing,
is the earnest of our faith
in the idea of tomorrow (Lines 26-29).
The speakers themselves know that gaining a piece of earth does not only mean owning property but also fulfilling their faith and having a chance to build a better future. The “dirt” is symbolic of life itself; being able to own dirt means restoring control over personhood, but it also means building something out of nothing, which requires faith. In this sense, the dirt itself is a metaphor for hope and faith.
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