Strange Fruit

“Strange Fruit” ,a poem written by Abel Meeropol in 1929, was a world renowned piece of writing. This poem was a result of Meeropol’s reaction to the picture of a lynching that took place during that time. He was already disturbed by the racism that existed, but was horrified after seeing a picture taken of two hanging bodies. Then after putting it to song, it was sung by Billie Holiday who was heard around the world. I find that this poem is a chilling act of defiance against the inhumane act of hanging another man. This poem starts off describing the appearance of a “strange fruit” hanging off the trees. As the poem goes on however, it becomes apparent that the fruit is dead bodies being hung from trees. This poem has a first-person state of writing because Meeropol describes the scene in the poem like it was with his own eyes. The strange
He gives inanimate things the ability to “suck” or “drop” something. These are things that make seemingly normal objects more relatable. Then in paragraph two, Meeropol writes,“Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh, Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh”(Meeropol). This is a perfect example of juxtaposition. This is when you put two things side by side to show their differences, or embolden their meaning. The juxtaposition used here shows that amidst the beauty is an ugly truth. It shows you how vile hanging another man is, and is comparing it to the beauty of a tree untouched by lynchings.
Overall, Strange Fruit is an emotional and heartbreaking story about the nature of lynching. His indirect description of the picture of a lynching is more than obvious. The sad truth is made more profound as Meeropol writes his poem in a way that makes you think about the crimes committed. The emotion and true feeling that are embedded in this piece creates the first sign of rebellion created against prejudice. Abel Meeropol put his own beliefs into a poem that was heard around the