Leahy 1

Eleanor Leahy

Mr.Smith

2/19/23

The Meaning of Common Dust

The poem “Common Dust” by Georgia Douglas Johnson shows the discrimination and

assimilation during the Harlem Renaissance. She describes how African American culture is

slowly disappearing and how assimilation is beginning to play a big part in American society.

Johnson asks “And who shall separate the dust”(Johnson 1), which expresses how there is only

one culture in society and is questioning when people will have the ability to express their own

culture in society. The idea of culture is further describe when the poet describes “the dust”,

“Here lies the dust of Africa;/Here are the sons of Rome;/Here lies the one unlabelled,”(Johnson

9-11), which presents an image of 2 out of the 3 lying down as if they are dying or even dead.

And the only one still standing is the main culture in society during this time as if it is the only

culture good enough to be shown. The poet then goes on to question, “Can one then separate the

dust?/Will mankind lie apart,”(Johnson 13-14), Johnson creates the metaphor about the dust

being separated to describe the culture and assimilation going on during this time. Johnson

describes the assimilation in society by using imagery and metaphors to describe it to the people

reading the poem. The reader is left to think about the different cultures that are shown in society

and about what cultures are not being shown because people want to fit into society. During the

Harlem Renaissance African Americans still struggled with things like discrimination,

segregation, and assimilation. The poet describes the culture as dying and continues to question

when the cultures will be shown and appreciated.

 Leahy 2

Poem Explication Rubric

Skill Not Foundational Proficient Advanced
Yet
Identifies the topic Identifies the topic Identifies a specific
of the poem of the poem and a theme/perspective
basic theme of the poem

Comments:

Thesis/
Theme

Includes some Includes at least 3 Includes 3 or more

specific lines from specific references specific, meaningful,
the poem, but may to lines of the poem and well-chosen
not have much that have some lines from the poem
connection to the connection to the that relate to the
theme/may be theme theme
surface-level
Evidence
May have 2 or fewer
lines from the poem

Comments:

Explains how the Explains how the Explains the effect

facts or basic details figurative language, and impact of
of the poem connect imagery, or tone of specific figurative
to its main ideas the poem contribute language, imagery,
to its or tone of the poem
Connects to basic theme/meaning and how this
Analysis context of the supports the
Harlem Renaissance Connects the theme theme/author’s
of the poem to the purpose in writing
context of the the poem
 Leahy 3

Harlem Renaissance
Makes nuanced and
specific connections
to the context of the
Harlem Renaissance
and/or the poet’s
biography

Comments:

Some elements Heading is correctly No errors in MLA

missing or some formatted format
errors in MLA format
Pages are numbered

In-text citations are

correctly formatted

Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
MLA Format double-spaced,
alphabetized, starts
on a new page

Lines of poetry are

correctly
cited/formatted

Comments:

Shows evidence of Most quotes are All quotes are

basic proofreading correctly integrated correctly integrated

Follows organization: Fluid organization,

Conventions/ topic/thesis sentence, including smooth
Expectations integration of transitions between
evidence, analysis, evidence
and concluding
sentence Shows evidence of
 Leahy 4

careful proofreading
Shows evidence of
proofreading

Comments:

Strengths: The flow and progression of ideas was logical and organized, and followed the flow of
the poem itself. Also, good job connecting back to the H.R.

Improvements: Much of your analysis is fairly unspecific. You mention an idea, but don’t expand
on it or discuss it any more. Try to ask yourself the question “would my reader understand what
I’m talking about?”

Grade: B-