Summary

The poem begins with the names of ships and the visceral image of people jumping overboard to their death. The names of the ships coincide with Spanish translations of Christian words and themes. An entry as if in a sailor’s logbook recounts the uneasiness of the slaves aboard the ships who are moaning and begging for death to come quickly. The ship is bound for North America where the slaves will be sold.

The second section of the poem is narrated by a long-time slaver who expresses dismay at his advanced age and fever that will soon exclude him from the profits of the industry. He also shares that the slavers were often helped by higher-ranking Africans who would sell others into slavery for a share of the profits.

In the third section, the slaves have mounted a revolt under Cinquez, a popular...