Reverend H.T. Johnson was a clergyman in America and "The Black Man's Burden" was written by him as a direct reply to Kipling's "The White Man's Burden". Johnson uses same form, similar rhyme scheme and meter to Kipling's poem to explicitly state that this is his counter to Kipling's highly divisive poem. The poem starts with the phrase "Pile on the Black Man's burden" that acts as a refrain which starts every stanza. Johnson sarcastically asserts to add up to the black person's burden which is overbearing as it is. This creates a verbal irony as what he means is to leave the black man alone who already has a lot to deal with as it is. He points out specifically to the US as it need not look anywhere else but its "own door" and address the issue at home first. There is no reason to bother other countries like Cuba or Hawaii when the problem in your own country is burning. He describes the armies of imperial forces a...
Essays on Poems, Prose and Stories