Chai Savage

The poem “What is the Price” was inspired by thinking about the absolute moments of sheer chaos that erupt during Black Friday shopping. People will wait in lines for hours during the early morning to be the first to purchase discounted goods, and this often causes tension between shoppers. The goal of the poem is to have readers think critically about the moral cost of consumerism and whether our society values consumption over human life. The tone of the poem is critical and somber because the narrator is taking a negative stance on Black Friday shopping while lamenting the tragedy of Walter Vance losing his life. The phrases “light shoving” and “jostle for position” are implemented to create a sense of a physical struggle within the crowd. Also, it foreshadows the deadly stampede that follows later in the poem. Personification is deployed in the poem with the phrase “the crowd shares one collective mind” to describe the massive impact capitalism and consumerism have on the average American. The people in the crowd have lost their identity and share one common goal to purchase material goods, while companies are viewing them as statistics that will impress shareholders. Lastly, the timestamps during the poem give the feeling of a news report and the reader is learning more details as they come in in real time.

The poem “Black Friday” was inspired by thinking about how capitalism affects our lives in major ways that have become normalized in our society. This led me to research the history of Black Friday to understand how the day after Thanksgiving became the official start of the holiday shopping season. Also, I infused my personal experience of Black Friday shopping growing up into this poem to detail the impact it had on me as a child. I vividly remember being eager for the Black Friday sales to purchase the newest shoes, video games, and books at a discounted price with whatever money I had saved up during the year. The form of this poem is free-verse to allow a natural cadence and rhythm to develop within the poem. The poem's tone is nostalgic and bittersweet because while the narrator acknowledges his fond childhood memories, he is also keenly aware of capitalism being the driving force for Black Friday. The imagery created a vivid scene for the reader that is relatable for many Americans. For example “red eyes and stuffed bellies full of turkey” are the epitome of the morning after Thanksgiving. In addition, the “red colored mistakes of the past” line gives light to the motivations of these major corporations during Black Friday which is to overcome previous financial loss. Lastly, the enjambment throughout the poem was utilized to create a smooth flow during the piece, similar to the steady flow of customers entering business during Black Friday.