Assassination by Don Lee

Question 1

The poem describes the assassination of _____ ___ ____.

Answer 1

Martin Luther King

Question 2

Why did MLK go to Memphis?

Answer 2

King went to Memphis in April 1968 to bring national attention to the poor working conditions and low wages of sanitation workers – following the death of two men who were crushed to death when a garbage truck malfunctioned.

Question 3

Which hotel did MLK check in and on what date?

Answer 3

King and his entourage checked into the Lorraine Motel, which was African-American friendly - on 3 April 1968.

Question 4

What is significant about the structure of the poem?

Answer 4

The layout of the poem evokes a sense of the chaos that erupted as a consequence of King being shot.

Question 5

What does the line ‘it was wild’ suggest?

Answer 5

‘it was wild’ suggests that the bullet missed its intended target.

Question 6

How does the simple sentence assert this information?

Answer 6

The simple sentence asserts this information in a matter-of-fact tone.

Question 7

What does the spacing between line 2-3 suggest?

Answer 7

The spacing between line 2 and 3 seems to convey that the bullet should have hit the physical space that is provided but instead ‘hit high’.

Question 8

The use of ______ provides the specific detail of just where the bullet hit King.

Answer 8

parenthesis

Question 9

What does the colon do?

Answer 9

The colon introduces a list, separated by commas, of how people emerged from a variety of different places.

Question 10

What connotations do the reference to ‘garbage cans’ and ‘rat-holes in the earth’ have?

Answer 10

The reference to ‘garbage cans’ and ‘rat-holes in the earth’ has connotations of unsavoury, ‘seedy’ places from where unsavoury people emerged.

Question 11

What is significant about the use of ‘they’?

Answer 11

The use of ‘they’ is a reference to the law enforcement officers (presumably white) that descended and sets up an Us vs Them situation between the white officers vs King and his black entourage.

Question 12

Comment on the rhythm?

Answer 12

The rhythm is fast-paced to evoke the sense of frenzy and chaos after the noise of the bullet.

Question 13

What is the importance of the line ‘with guns drawn’?

Answer 13

‘With guns drawn’ amplifies the mood of violence suggesting that these officers were poised to respond.

Question 14

‘toward the King’ enables the reader to ____ everyone moving toward the motel from where the shot had come.

Answer 14

visualize

Question 15

What else is significant about the line ‘toward the King’?

Answer 15

It also suggests that the instinct of those who respond is to believe that King is responsible for the violence.

Question 16

What is the function of “King”?

Answer 16

King’ has two possible interpretations: the first being a reference to Martin Luther King; the second provides connotations of how Black Americans perceived him as a king – a man with stature and significance who was committed to fighting for their rights.

Question 17

What is the function of the parenthesis?

Answer 17

The use of parenthesis suggests the number of officers that moved swiftly in that direction and the certainty visible in their ‘fast and sure’ movements. These lines does seem to suggest that these men are determined to contain the situation which they believe has been precipitated by King.

Question 18

Did the law enforcement officers believe King was in the wrong? (3)

Answer 18

• There is a sense that these men are ready to respond believing that they may be in the midst of a hostile encounter in which King is the culprit and are concerned that ‘the King was going to fire back.’
• There is a sense of futility as King is the victim, not the culprit, and the severity of his injuries prevent him from any response.
• The speaker highlights the irony of these men descending on the motel believing King might be responsible whilst the assassin was able to escape. This is reflected by them running ‘in the wrong direction’.

Question 19

What did Lee believe?

Answer 19

Lee is a black poet who believes that it is important to write about black experiences and captures in this poem the notion that it was easy to jump to racist assumptions and stereotype King and his men as being responsible, because they were black. By descending on the motel and King, the assassin was able to evade the officers because it seems as though they did not stop to consider that King could be the victim in this situation.

Question 20

What attitude does the last stanza convey?

Answer 20

The last stanza conveys an attitude of frustration at the actions of those who descend on the motel.

Question 21

What is the overall tone of the poem?

Answer 21

The overall tone of the poem is matter-of-fact as the speaker recounts the events without emotion although he does position the reader to admire King by providing connotations associated with the notion of him being perceived as a king.

Question 22

Comment on the effectiveness of the poem being written in free verse? (2)

Answer 22

• The poem is in free verse and is effective in conveying the chaos of the shooting.
• This is reinforced by the layout which provides a visual representation of people arriving from everywhere.

Question 23

Comment on the rhythm of the ENTIRE poem?

Answer 23

The rhythm is fast to convey the speed of the bullet hitting Martin Luther King and the speed of the response and the chaos that ensued.

Question 24

Comment on the enjambment?

Answer 24

The enjambment reinforces the continued frenzy unfolding in the aftermath of the shooting as well as the lines without punctuation which enhances the overall rhythm.

Question 25

What is the overall mood of the poem?

Answer 25

The mood is one of chaos, which is appropriate for the assassination of a prominent civil rights leader.