Question

Hayden alludes to "Oh! Susanna" in line 34. Do some independent research on the context and history of this traditional American song. How does this allusion add meaning to the poem?
The poem is Runagate Runagate by Robert Hayden

Answer 1

Answer:

This allusion supports the search for freedom and the difficult world of runaway slaves.

Explanation:

Oh Susanna is a popular song part of the minstrel tradition in which African Americans were made fun of and depicted as simple and ignorant. The original song has a verse in which the protagonist talks about killing black men along the way during the Gold Rush. This verse and other racist remarks of the original text have been taken out over the years. The use of this allusion in the poem Runagate Runagate by Hayden, expresses the urge to find freedom, even if it meant struggles, hardship or even death. It is, at the end, an allusion that reminds the reader of the will and the defiance needed to run away.