- Some kings rule their kingdoms sitting down
But this King stood strong
stood proud
stood tall
When the driver told Rosa
"Move to the back of the bus!"
When the waiter told students
"We don't serve your kind!"
When the Mayor told voters
"Your vote don't count!"
And when the sheriff told marchers
"Get off our streets!"
using fire hoses, police dogs and cattle prods
to move them along
This King stood strong
stood proud
stood tall
Speaking of peace
of love
and children
hand in hand
free at last
free at last
When some yelled for violence
For angry revenge
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
He stood his ground
Preaching peace
And when some spit out hate
He stood there smiling
Spreading love
Until it rolled like the sea across the land
Sweeping away Jim Crow
Breaking down the walls
Ringing the bell
Joyfully
For Freedom
Until
Standing on the mountain top
They shot him
Coldly
Hoping to see him fall
Hoping to put him away
To bring him low
But this King
even in death
even today
stands strong
stands proud
stands tall
And we remember
- Analysis of Standing Tall by Jamie McKenzie:
- In "Standing Tall", the poet Jamie McKenzie, contrasts the discriminating and intolerant experiences colored skin citizens had to face during the Civil Rights Era with the love and sympathy Martin Luther King Jr symbolized.
Jamie McKenzie starts the first stanza by making comparisons of how Kings rule their kingdoms in diverse ways. This king, however (Martin Luther King, Jr.) stood strong, proud, and tall. McKenzie mentions pieces of history and experiences many discriminated citizens had to go through. In the second stanza, the author uses dialogue to show how they would mistreat others on their daily basis. Martin Luther King Jr would talk about peace, love trying to make a change in the world and create equality. There is repetition on the last two lines of the second stanza, "free at last", which I interpret as if they are finally free. During the third stanza, McKenzie expresses how many invited violence and revenge to this event and Martin Luther King Jr just preached for peace. In the next stanza, the poet continues mentioning the idea of hate and disgust; when others spit hate, he would respond to them smiling and spreading love and asking for freedom in a pacific way. As a general idea, the last two stanzas are about Martin Luther King Jr's death. Even though many hoped to see him fall and put him low, even in death he was a great King because he stood strong, proud and most important of all, he stood tall and that's something we will always remember.
The tone of this poem, "Standing Tall" is patient and calm. The poem is about the tough experiences many discriminated citizens had to live. McKenzie uses a simile to draw an image of how much love Martin wanted to spread, "... Spreading love until it rolled like the sea across the land sweeping away Jim Crow ...". The author portrays how Martin Luther King Jr responded to the violent and disrespectful actions of the rest. His goal was to transmit love, peace and equality to the rest of the world but others would interpret it in the opposite way. Martin Luther King Jr is shown as a King that didn't lose the hope and stood apart from the other leaders was that, he ruled standing strong, proud and tall.