Essay Questions

What experience does "Between the World and Me" detail?

"Between the World and Me" details the journey of a man who discovers the gruesome scene of a lynching. The poem describes what the man sees: charred remains, the tree limbs around him, nature, the mans shoe, and the mans bones. It also describes how the man deals with his discovery - how he becomes overcome with fear and is unable to continue to normally live his life.

What does "Between the World and Me" argue for (or against)?

When viewed in a historical lens (the poem was published when an anti-Lynching bill was trying to get passed in Congress), the poem compels readers to think of the horrible brutality that is lynching. Perhaps more importantly, though, it argues that the anti-Lynching law that was being talked about in Congress should be passed by making an emotional appeal to readers (by describing in emotional terms how bad it is).

Did Richard Wright draw from some of his own family experiences to write the poem "Between the World and Me"?

The short answer is yes. His Aunt's husband was murdered by a white man who wanted to take his saloon business. Although we do not know if he was lynched, it is very likely that Wright used the story of his aunt's husband as a major source of inspiration for the poem.