Section VIII: Lament Over Love Summary

"Misery" (Pg. 143):

Standard blues rhythm "song." The speaker is a black woman whose "no-good man" has mistreated and abused her.

"Cora" (Pg. 146):

The speaker, Cora, vows to never involve herself with a man again because the men she loves do not reciprocate.

"Down and Out" (Pg. 147):

The female speaking subject in this piece asks her male lover to assist her financially: "Baby, if you love me / Help me when I'm down and out."

"Young Gal's Blues" (Pg. 148):

A young woman comes to the realization that youth and attractiveness are temporary.

"Lament over Love" (Pg. 153):

The speaker, feeling dejected because her man has abandoned her, sings the blues and contemplates suicide.

Section VIII: Lament Over Love Analysis

All of the poems in this section have a female subject and/or a female speaker. In "Lament Over...