Strange Fruit Essays

  • Juxtaposition In Strange Fruit

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    “One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism” (Blair ). “Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropol and published in 1937. Billie Holiday then went to to sing “Strange Fruits” in 1939, it quickly became one of her most requested songs. Abel Meeropol had once witnessed seeing a photograph of a lynching, aghast by what he had just seen, he decided to compose a poem about it. My overall response to the poem was stupefied because

  • Comparison Of Nina And Strange Fruit

    1122 Words  | 5 Pages

    Comparison of “Nina” and “Strange Fruit” Throughout history, black people have suffered from oppression, which continues today. But what do these experiences really feel like? Abel Meeropol wrote a song in 1937, named “Strange Fruit”, reflecting the way black people suffered during this time. Meeropol’s piece uses motif, comparing black people who were lynched to natural things like fruit hanging from trees. Meeropol illustrates the cruelties that black people have experienced in a subtle, yet

  • Song Analysis Of 'Strange Fruit' By Billie Holiday

    1286 Words  | 6 Pages

    had the capacity of not only reflecting cultural and social developments of her time and exploring the themes of social injustice and racism, but of sparking a new level of social consciousness within society with her performance of the song ‘Strange Fruit’, which

  • Strange Fruit

    655 Words  | 3 Pages

    Strange Fruit The poem “Strange Fruit” ,written by Abel Meeropol, conveys a very strong message about how racist the white people were to the black people. Adel graduated from Dewitt Clinton in 1921 and he went back to teach there for 17 more years. He was inspired to write this intense poem when he saw a picture of a white crowd around two black people who had been hanged. The white people’s faces didn’t seem to be bothered by the site; in fact they seemed to have a carnival type of atmosphere

  • Racism In Strange Fruit

    959 Words  | 4 Pages

    We will always wonder the sad, unfortunate death about the judgement against racism in American’s history. A song called, “Strange Fruit” is perhaps one of the greatest poem and song ever written to protest the hatred of discrimination to colors. This poem was written by a Jewish white high school male teacher named Abel Meeropol, who was inspired by a haunted photographic picture of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith being lynched in Marron, Indiana. After seeing an image of the lynch, Meeropol was deeply

  • Symbolism In Strange Fruit

    832 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Strange Fruit”, sung by Billie Holiday and written by Abel Meeropol, is considered one of the first protest songs, being called by jazz writer Leonard Feather. “Strange Fruit” reflects the social environment and racial discrimination experienced by black Americans in the early 1900s. Lynching was one of many products of racism in America, and one of the various results of racial discrimination experienced by black Americans in the United States at the time, alongside disenfranchisement, segregation

  • Meaning Behind Strange Fruit

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Meaning Behind “Strange Fruit” The title of the poem is “Strange Fruit” by Abel Meeropol. The date of the publication was in 1937 and was recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. Abel Meeropol was inspired to write this poem from a old photograph of a lynching. He was haunted for days with this picture in mind and then decided to put his thoughts into words in this beautiful yet haunting poem “Strange Fruit.” The powerful imagery In Abel Meeropol’s poem, “Strange Fruit,” reveals the brutal reality

  • Strange Fruit Poem Meaning

    792 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Strange Fruit” Poetry Analysis Abel Meeropol wrote the poem “Strange Fruit” in 1937 and was sung and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1937. It was during this time in the South were discrimination took a turned to a vehement bloodshed. The practice of lynching grew very notorious in the South, and a picture of two lynched bodies, terrified and haunted Abel until he wrote his poem :strange Fruit”. Alas, the powerful imagery in Abel Meeropol poem reveals the brutal reality of racism in America during

  • Strange Fruit Poem Analysis

    1038 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the years the way of acting upon opinions has changed whether it be for better or worse. Between TKAM, Strange Fruit, and the McDonald case article all have examples of social in justice, specifically racism and all the uproars of the negativity racism gives to people and their the evilness of their behavior. Each source has every way of trying to show the realness behind the negativity of racism. TKAMB has a negative overlook on white to black racism and how rudely and disgustingly they

  • Strange Fruit Play Analysis

    560 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pre-Show opens on a group of protestors standing in a line with their arms up in surrender pose. They hold picket signs with the phrase “hands up don’t shoot” painted on. ‘Strange Fruit’ by Billie Holiday plays. As audience settle a blackout happens. Scene 1 Scene opens on white officer, Darren Wilson, stood CSR facing a video camera on a tripod. DW is a well-dressed, confident looking man; however, his appearance is not one we trust. He looks comfortable in front of the camera as if he was with

  • Abel Meeropol Meaning

    1659 Words  | 7 Pages

    “Strange Fruit” is a song written by Abel Meeropol and was made famous by the singer Billie Holliday. The big release of the song was in 1939, although it was written a few years before. Meeropol was weary about letting it out to the larger public, so he had it played in meetings, benefits, and house parties. Meeropol originally wrote it as a poem, which was inspired by a photograph of lynching. The song has historical context and is better understood once the listener knows some of the background

  • Billie Holiday: Most Influential Women In Jazz

    1718 Words  | 7 Pages

    Billie Holiday could be considered one of the most influential women in jazz, if not one of the most influential women in general. She was one of the first to incorporate anti-racist ideals and progressive thoughts through the outlet of music, influencing many others down the road. Her intense desire for equality and change could be due to the immense amounts of hardship during her younger years, which may have very well carried over into her adult singing career. Billie Holiday was abandoned at

  • Strange Fruit By Abel Meeropol Summary

    908 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Strange Fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees” (Meeropol 4). This is a line well said by the author, Abel Meeropol. Abel Meeropol was a Jewish man who was labeled as a communist. The date that this poem was released was 1937. Abel’s motivation to “Strange Fruit” was when he saw an image of a lynching. Robert and Michael, the two boys that Abel adopted. Were the kids of biological parents, Julius, and Ethel Rosenberg. Although, the boys are adopted, Abel still treats them as if they were one of his

  • Strange Fruit Nina Simone Analysis

    871 Words  | 4 Pages

    1.Introduction 1939. Café Society, New York. A 24 year-old Billie Holiday goes onstage and sings Strange Fruit, a song written by Abel Meeropol, with a heart-wrenching performance that would be considered the beginning of the new protest song. Even though they were common in the South in the form of blues and folk songs, Billie Holiday was the first one to politicize music in a stage and ignited a fire that would continue during the time of the Civil Rights Movement and the #BlackLivesMatter movement

  • Sterotypes: Bad Stereotypes In The Lion King

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    1.1 A negative stereotype in the movie “Lion King” is seen when looking at Ed, one of the hienas. Ed is part of a minority group that is not based on ethnicity. Mental ability is one of the 7 categories of otherness, mentally impaired is the subordinate group in this category. When I watched Ed, I immediately grouped him in with the mentally impaired group. When Ed displaid behavior like chewing on his own leg, he portrayed an exaggerated, generalization of what all mentally impaired people act like

  • Literary Analysis Of Abel Meeropol's 'Strange Fruit'

    1189 Words  | 5 Pages

    Conflict between ethnic groups have always been a societal issue all across the United States. In particular, the poem “Strange Fruit” written by Abel Meeropol is a prime example of the injustice that the African American community faced during the segregation and the Jim Crow law era. As stated in the article, “Strange Fruit” is a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism” (Blair 2012). Meeropol utilizes literary devices to paint a picture of the horrific treatment and the lynching of the

  • Strange Fruit: First American Protest Song

    1305 Words  | 6 Pages

    “Strange Fruit” is known to be the first American protest song. More than that, this song is one of the most powerful protest songs. It’s historical history and impact is very important. Since it was released, it has become the song of the victim of racism. This song is about the lynching that has occurred from 1889 and 1960 in America. Lynching is an execution committed by a group of people without a fair trial and without leaving to the accused the possibility of defending itself. Lynching’s victims

  • Strange Fruit: Repercussions Of The Civil Rights Movement

    1688 Words  | 7 Pages

    Jazz and Civil Rights “Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swingin ' in the Southern breeze, Strange fruit hangin ' from the poplar trees. “Strange Fruit” initially performed by Billie Holiday depicts one of the inceptive repercussions of the civil rights movement‒ a lynching. Holiday’s expression of the event delivers an overall timbre and mood for jazz in the coming era. The development of the Civil Rights movement and opposing factions

  • An Analysis Of Billie Holiday's Song 'Strange Fruit'

    1116 Words  | 5 Pages

    is like a faucet, it turns on and off,” is one of Billie Holiday’s quotes that she once said . Billie Holiday also had many issues she was addicted to drugs and alcohol which hurt her career later on in her life. Billies most famous song “ Strange Fruit” was one of her biggest hits. She has loved music her whole life. She also has helped shape jazz music. She has won many Grammy Awards, and she got inducted to the Rock and roll Hall of Fame making her one of the best jazz pioneers in the 20th

  • Strange Fruit Among Southern Magnolias Analysis

    949 Words  | 4 Pages

    Strange Fruit Among Southern Mary Lovelace O’Neal Painting Like A Man, Chapter 1, “Strange Fruit Among Southern Magnolias” (Excerpt) David Driskell and Howard University's Art Faculty Howard’s art faculty was also prominent but traditional and had a long appreciation in realistic renderings. They were conservative approach to painting and training artists to become teachers. O’Neal took a watercolor course from Lois Mailou Jones who O'Neal maintains hated her work. Jones had been recruited to Howard