The Tradition

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2015

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Names

In “The Tradition,” Jericho Brown mentions “classical / Philosophers” (Lines 3-4), but does not name them. He also mentions “news reports” (Line 6), but does not name any specific journalists or outlets. This reflects the poet’s prioritization of the Black experience. He does not devote much space or attention to classical western luminaries or media organizations. Recalling the famous rallying cry of the #BlackLivesMatters movement, “Say Their Names,” he prioritizes naming the elements he associates with Black Americans in his poem.

Of great importance in “The Tradition” are the names of the flowers, which are metaphors for Black lives: “Aster. Nasturtium. Delphinium” (Line 1); “Star Gazer. / Foxglove” (Lines 4-5); and “Cosmos. Baby’s Breath” (Line 8). Most significantly of all, in the last line of the poem Brown names three Black men murdered by police officers, “John Crawford. Eric Garner. Mike Brown” (Line 14). By moving from metaphorical botanical language to the names of three real-life people, Brown resists the trend of making Black deaths an impersonal list of statistics. He emphasizes each man’s individuality, humanity, and, by extension, the incredible tragedy of their deaths.

Global Warming

In “The Tradition,” Brown does not refer to global warming explicitly, but Lines 5-7 describe the earth heating up:

[…] Summer seemed to bloom against the will

Of the sun, which news reports claimed flamed hotter

On this planet […]

This motif suggests that, like global warming, the forces which oppress Black people have worsened over time. It also underlines how the same forces which cause global warming—capitalism, imperialism, and globalism—also contribute to the systemic exploitation of people of color.

Colors

The flowers named in “The Tradition” come in a rainbow of colors. Asters can be purple, blue, or pink. Nasturtiums can be yellow, orange, red, and sometimes blue. Delphiniums can be blue, purple, pink, red, and sometimes yellow. Star Gazers can be pink or yellow. Foxgloves can be red, pink, yellow, and purple. Cosmos can be pink, red, and purple. Baby’s Breaths tend to be white, but come in yellow and pink too. For all these flowers, their pigment is an important aspect of their beauty. Brown writes these are the colors readers “expect in poems” (Line 12).

“The Tradition” ends with the names of men who were targeted by police because of the color of their skin, and the last word of the poem is both a name and a color: “Brown” (Line 14).

This motif makes two points at once. First, flowers—and people—come in a vast (and beautiful) spectrum of colors. Second, societal discrimination on the basis of color is misplaced.