Powell/Edwards1

Samuel/Jonathan

Mrs. Field

LNG 321

2 May, 2011

Poetry and Hip-hop

In the poem “Dirge without Music,” by Edna St. Vincent Millay,

someone very close to her dies. The speaker is lonely and sad about the

passing and at the funeral there is no music in her heart. Edna is addressing

either her mother or husband whom both past away late in her life. The

setting of the dirge is at a funeral, and the conflict is between Edna and the

death of the person she loved that she has to deal with. The death is the

cause of the dirge. A transition is noticed between stanza two and stanza

three as she begins to talk about the dropping into the ground after the

dirge. The essential line of the poem is “They are gone to feed the roses…”-

This line shows how the lost one’s spirit lives on to bring life to flowers. This

poem is very sad and you can’t help but feel sad about it.

50 cent, born Curtis James Jackson III in the streets of South Jamaica,

Queens, NY on July 6, 1975. His mom, Sabrina Jackson, was 15 years old

when he was born and was killed in a drug deal when 50 was eight. He never

knew his father and he lived with his grandma who had nine children so he

spent most of his time on the streets (Marcovitz). He started dealing drugs at
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age twelve and at age 15 he bought his first gun, at age 19 he was making

150,000 dollars a month (Stock). 50 dropped out of high school to sell drugs

full time. He was arrested twice, the first time he spent two years in drug

rehabilitation and the second time he had a choice of either a nine year jail

sentence or go to a six month military style boot camp which he chose.

When 50’s son, Marquise, was born he knew he had to change or his son

would be growing up without a father (Marcovitz). In 1996, 50 was

introduced to Jam Master Jay, from the group Run-DMC, who helped teach 50

how to rap and signed him to a production deal. In 1999 Columbia Records

signed him to a record deal but soon canceled it due to 50 being shot 9

times at close range because of his past. After he was dropped from the

label company 50 returned to making mix-tapes and was soon discovered by

Eminem who signed him to his personal record company, Shady/Aftermath

Records. 50 was put right to work and some of his songs were used in

Eminem’s production 8 Mile. Soon after the release of his first album, Get

Rich or Die Tryin’ 50 was nominated for 5 Grammys and won 5 World

Music Awards including best new artist and best male Hip-Hop (Stock).

In the song “Okay, You’re right” by 50-Cent, he uses an up-beat

tempo, repetition and rhyme scheme to create a catchy rap song. He uses

both end and slant rhymes. He also uses similes and metaphors. The song

gives meaning about how he describes himself as blowing cash on girls and

driving fancy Bugatti’s. He uses the simile “me, I’m like that painting on the

wall, I’m priceless” to describe himself as having lots of money. He also uses
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metaphor by saying “I’m the sweetest thing since candy.” 50 cent uses

rhymes to show emphasis and meaning to words.

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Works Cited

Schoonmaker, Frances Ed. Poetry for Young People: Edna St. Vincent

Millay. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., 1999. Print.