Original Poem
An American Beast There’s a pair of cowardly yellow eyes staring out of the heart of the darkness. Staring up at the moon like a baleful werewolf, Keeping to the shadows Well away from the water lest he catch a glimpse of his own bestial reflection. He licks his lips and drools his greed onto his matted stained hair An American beast is hungry for the lives of our children He only feasts on promises as the truth twists his stomach sick. An American beast charms the habits off of nuns and desecrates their crucifixes to hang burning bodies from. An American beast prowls the suburbs at night Spilling the trash cans filled with hypocrisies all over their emerald sprinkler lawns There is no half way between lies and facts. There is no halfway between discourse and violence. There is no middle ground between democracy and fascism. No soul is beating within the American beast
Translation (English)
An American Beast
There are cowardly yellow eyes looking out from the darkness.
They gaze up at the moon like a threatening werewolf,
Staying hidden in the shadows
Far from the water to avoid seeing its own animal-like reflection.
It licks its lips and lets its greed drip onto its dirty, tangled hair.
An American beast is hungry for our children's lives.
It only eats promises while the truth makes it feel sick.
An American beast can charm nuns and ruin their crosses to hang burning bodies.
An American beast roams the suburbs at night
Spilling trash cans full of lies on their green, watered lawns.
There is no in-between for lies and facts.
There is no in-between for talking and violence.
There is no middle ground for democracy and dictatorship.
No soul lives inside the American beast.
About the Poet
Unknown (Contemporary)
The poet of 'An American Beast' is currently unknown. The poem appears to be a contemporary work reflecting on societal issues.
Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Free verse
- When Written
- Unknown, likely contemporary
- Background
- The poem seems to critique societal and political issues in America, using the metaphor of a 'beast' to symbolize corruption, greed, and moral decay.
Sources: https://poets.org/poem/driving-beast, https://www.everand.com/article/444718591/The-Beast
Detailed Explanation
The poem 'An American Beast' uses vivid imagery and metaphor to critique the moral and political state of America. The 'beast' represents a corrupt and greedy force, lurking in the shadows, avoiding self-reflection, and preying on innocence. The beast's hunger for children's lives symbolizes the exploitation of the future generation. It feeds on empty promises, suggesting deceit and betrayal. The poem highlights the absence of moral and ethical middle ground, emphasizing that there is no compromise between truth and lies, peace and violence, democracy and fascism. The beast's soullessness underscores the loss of humanity and conscience in the face of power and greed. Through this metaphor, the poem critiques societal hypocrisy and the destructive nature of unchecked power.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| cowardly | fearful | afraid and lacking courage | cow-ard-ly |
| baleful | threatening | menacing or harmful | bale-ful |
| bestial | animal-like | savage or brutish | bes-ti-al |
| desecrates | violates | treats something sacred with disrespect | des-e-crates |
| hypocrisies | pretenses | claims to have moral standards that are not actually followed | hy-poc-ris-ies |
| emerald | green | bright green color | em-er-ald |
| fascism | authoritarianism | a political system with dictatorial power | fas-cism |
| prowl | sneak | move around stealthily | prow-l |
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