Good Man

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2020

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Form and Meter

“Good Man” doesn’t follow a discernable form of closed poetry; instead, it builds in typical fashion for a spoken word piece, using shifting rhythm and some internal rhyme as the poet moves through his arguments. The first six stanzas are all longer than the final one, making Geter’s conclusion a poignant, concise ending to his longer story and arguments. As a spoken word piece, “Good Man” does contain some traditional elements of the form: It has a story arc with consistent metaphors and themes, it uses enjambment and word play, and it builds vivid images so that a listener can follow along.

Alliteration and Consonance

One of Geter’s most heavily used devices is alliteration and consonance, where the beginnings of words and the same sounds in words are repeated close together for dramatic effect. This is present in combinations of words like “scrubs and snakes” (Line 4) or “video vixen” (Line 43) or “detonated your destiny” (Line 48). In each example, the aural quality of the phrasing aids to the tension in the poem, especially when read out loud. This effect makes these parts of the poem more memorable; in addition, these are usually key images that the poet wants a reader or listener to note.

In the case of consonance specifically, Geter often uses this device to combine two unlike ideas: “dishes” and “Dean’s list” (Line 25) or “play house” (Line 26) and “righteous” (Line 28). In a spoken word poem, the text must be easy for the listener to follow without reading along and seeing visual patterns. Using consonance helps keep the reader engaged in a particular thread presented by two or more lines of poetry.

Allusion

In several turning points of the poem, Geter uses allusion to heighten his points and lend credibility to his arguments. The first of these moments is in the fifth stanza, where Geter refers to several stories in the Christian Bible: “the language of Judas” (Line 32) and Adam and Eve. Though these are somewhat explicit references, they rely on the reader or listener being able to interpret his larger point in using them; Judas is a reference to betraying other men, while being cast out of the Garden of Eden is the biblical explanation for the difference in gender roles between men and women. Later in the poem, Geter also alludes to several famous Black women: Coretta Scott King, Sojourner Truth, and Assata Shakur. Knowing who these women are relies on a certain audience or knowledge base; this helps point to Geter’s intended use of his poem.

Point-of-View

In “Good Man,” Geter intentionally switches point-of-view twice, which has a critical impact on the text. The poem begins in the first-person singular when Geter describes a conversation with his sister. At the end of the second stanza, Geter shifts to the first-person plural, talking from the perspective of all men. And in the final stanza, Geter moves back into the singular, moving other men into a category of their own and describing his participation in the small group of men who will “die trying” (Line 61) to be good.

These shifts in perspective are vital to the poem as a whole because they shape the narrative both explicitly and implicitly. In the first shift, from singular to plural, Geter seems almost accidental in moving into the collective perspective as he describes “who we truly are” (Line 17). For a male audience, the informality of this move is important because it invites men into listening to Geter’s argument without feeling attacked or accused. Later, as Geter prepares to move back to the singular voice, he first addresses this group of men he has been speaking to: “y’all it is hard to be a good man” (Line 49). This almost conspiratory tone helps men in the audience buy into Geter’s larger argument.

The final stanza appears as Geter’s individual perspective for the last time, though he affirms the earlier use of “we” by describing that “I am them” (Line 57). Rather than separating himself from other men, Geter uses both language and his point-of-view in the poem to place himself as responsible for undoing toxic masculinity, just as he tasks his audience to do.