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Poem
December 26, 1939
Atlanta Daily World
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
What is this article about?
William Hurt's 1940 New Year's resolution poem vows to combat peonage in the South, equating it to a war for freedom to liberate Black and white people from servitude, upholding constitutional rights for all.
Clipping
OCR Quality
85%
Good
Full Text
My 1940
Resolution
(By WILLIAM HURT)
I do hereby resolve to do
Whatever I am able to
Toward abolishing the crime
We know as peonage, so rife
Down yonder in the southern
clime.
The war is on. I have joined the
strife
To set my helpless people free.
I've answered duty's call to arms
To free those now on peonage
farms
Who are held in abject servitude
Of men and women, black and
white
To wreck this system mean and
crude
Enlist and strive for what is
right—
That is that all men shall be
free
As written in the Constitution:
That is my new year's resolution
Resolution
(By WILLIAM HURT)
I do hereby resolve to do
Whatever I am able to
Toward abolishing the crime
We know as peonage, so rife
Down yonder in the southern
clime.
The war is on. I have joined the
strife
To set my helpless people free.
I've answered duty's call to arms
To free those now on peonage
farms
Who are held in abject servitude
Of men and women, black and
white
To wreck this system mean and
crude
Enlist and strive for what is
right—
That is that all men shall be
free
As written in the Constitution:
That is my new year's resolution
What sub-type of article is it?
New Years Resolution
What themes does it cover?
Slavery Abolition
Liberty Independence
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Peonage
Southern Clime
Servitude
Freedom
Constitution
New Years Resolution
Black White
What entities or persons were involved?
By William Hurt
Poem Details
Title
My 1940 Resolution
Author
By William Hurt
Subject
Resolution Against Peonage
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
I Do Hereby Resolve To Do
Whatever I Am Able To
Toward Abolishing The Crime
We Know As Peonage, So Rife
Down Yonder In The Southern Clime.
To Set My Helpless People Free.
I've Answered Duty's Call To Arms
To Free Those Now On Peonage Farms
Who Are Held In Abject Servitude
Of Men And Women, Black And White
That Is That All Men Shall Be Free
As Written In The Constitution:
That Is My New Year's Resolution