The Implications of Jazz in A Poem for Players
In "A Poem for Players", Al Young made a connection between famous jazz musicians Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong and Dizzie "Diz" Gillespie. The tone of Al Young's poem implied that freedom was licensed, and not truly for all. The idea that certain actions were allowed as long as they didn't stray too far from the status quo, helped highlight the similarity between the White reception of jazz and the White reception of many other things mentioned both inside and outside the poem. Al Young seems to be getting at the ways talented African Americans were publicized seemingly made them Invisible, only showing what the White audience may have approved of. The times that African Americans were in the public spotlight, being acknowledged for their prowess, didn't provide true freedom. In the case of Diz, Satchmo, and specifically O.J. Simpson, white audiences patronized them, forcing them to adhere to the desires of the White audience. Maureen Anderson, th...