Essay Questions

What is the poem's central message?

Although never explicitly stated, Smith's poem is likely an exploration of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The poem, which is also likely told from the perspective of an enslaved African, is ultimately about the way that slavers treat the enslaved Africans they have kidnapped from their families in another country, and who the slavers have "ravaged" and treated horribly. Not only is the poem an exploration of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, it is a commentary on the history of racism in the United States and in the world, as well as a commentary on colonialism and the evils of slavery and the countries that further that institution.

What does "he" refer to?

Often, Smith refers to an unnamed "he." Although it is never explicitly stated who "he" is, readers can infer that "he" refers to the group of white colonizers and slavers who go to other countries and steal people from their lands. In that sense, "he" refers to the group of violent, cruel, and oppressive people responsible for the slave trade and the transformation of more than two continents.

What does the line "We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration" mean?

One of the most powerful lines in the poem, "we have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration" is in reference to the enslaved people's request to their captors for redress. The enslaved people remind their captors that they were taken against their will from their home country and remind them of how the situation that they are in (a situation which was out of their hands) has impacted them. The circumstances of their emigration, in other words, was that they were forced into slavery.