Makin’ Jump Shots By: Michael S. Harper Jarren Smith

Biographical Information Michael Harper’s writing style is known for ancestral, kinship, Jazz and blues, and separation of race. He wrote a couple of songs and books that stressed the significances of history to the individual. He was nominated for the NBAP(Nation book Award of Poetry) Harper eschewed neither the personal, political nor the lyrical, but consistently forged a middle road from the multiple intersections of memory and experience, music and language, oppression and achievement

Organization Harper use 3 stanzas and 17 lines to create this poem. He waltzes into the lane ’cross the free-throw line, fakes a drive, pivots, floats from the asphalt turf in an arc of black light, and sinks two into the chains. One on one he fakes down the main, passes into the free lane and hits the chains. A sniff in the fallen air— he stuffs it through the chains riding high: “traveling” someone calls— and he laughs, stepping to a silent beat, gliding as he sinks two into the chains. Organization Harper use 3 stanzas and 17 lines to create this poem. He use a free verse type of poem. He use Repetition and sensatory language and some imagery. The imagery can help the reader get a visual of what Harper is saying in the stanza or line.

Speaker of the Poem The speaker might be a commentator at a basketball game. He/ She is describing what the player is doing in the game.

He also shows that the player has a positive feeling. He waltzes into the lane ’cross the free-throw line, fakes a drive, pivots, floats from the asphalt turf in an arc of black light, and sinks two into the chains. One on one he fakes down the main, passes into the free lane and hits the chains. A sniff in the fallen air— he stuffs it through the chains riding high: “traveling” someone calls— and he laughs, stepping to a silent beat, gliding as he sinks two into the chains Repetition-Harper repeats the phrase “ the chains” meaning that the ball continues to go into the basket. He also shows that the player has a positive feeling.

He waltzes into the lane ’cross the free-throw line, fakes a drive, pivots, floats from the asphalt turf in an arc of black light, and sinks two into the chains. One on one he fakes down the main, passes into the free lane and hits the chains. A sniff in the fallen air— he stuffs it through the chains riding high: “traveling” someone calls— and he laughs, stepping to a silent beat, gliding as he sinks two into the chains. Imagery- Michael use imagery to describe the moves that the player dose. And to describe the court. Imagery- Here in the fist stanza he describes some thing on the court and things that the person does. Imagery- in the next stanza he describe what the player is doing to get in the free lane.

Imagery “A sniff in the fallen air he stuffs it through the chains riding high ” Connection might be how he might fell that its hard because of failures in life but he push's through

Imagery “traveling someone call and he laughs to a silent beat, gliding as he sinks two into the chains.” Connection might be how people doubted him but he laughs at them and continues to try.

Authors purpose Harper was trying to explain that people laughed at him and doubted him but he continues to try.The tone is desire

Author’s Purpose Harpers purpose was to show that commentating basketball can be described in different ways and styles.

Theme . The theme is that you can do things that you can do things for your career later on in life that you like.

Websites used www.poetryfoundation.com www.Britannic.com

Literal Meaning The literal Meaning is that you can make points easy and people may say things but that shouldn't distract you .