What Teachers Make

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2002

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Form and Meter

Mali’s “What Teachers Make” is a free verse, spoken word poem. While it has rhythm and rhyme, the poem does not follow a set rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. Because this poem is meant to be spoken aloud and performed, it’s written in long lines that often extend to the end of the page. The lines in “What Teachers Make” are determined by ideas; the line breaks often occur at moments when an idea is complete. For instance, Lines 14-15 break on the completion of an idea. The speaker pauses after “honest —” (Line 14), represented by the long em dash, and the poem begins with a new idea at the start of Line 15, represented by the word “because” (Line 15). Mali also uses line breaks and italicized text to distinguish moments of speech. Lines 26-28, for instance, are spoken to a student who has asked to go to the bathroom. Each line and each thought are clear to follow thanks to the use of end-stopped lines and line breaks. End-stopped lines are lines that feature punctuation, such as a period, dash or colon. For example, all of the following lines are end-stopped:

No, you may not ask a question.

Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom?

Because you’re bored.

And you don’t really have to go to the bathroom, do you? (Lines 25-28)

Like many slam poets, Mali uses end rhyme and rhyme throughout to emphasize certain lines. End rhyme is when a poem has lines that end with words that have the same sounds. The most important example of this in “What Teachers Make” is the final rhyming couplet that concludes the poem, in which Mali chooses to rhyme the words “true” (Line 53) and “you” (Line 54). This rhyme emphasizes the thematic and symbolic concept of truth, which runs throughout the poem, and the word “you” (Line 54), which points to the dinner guest (the “He”) from Line 1. It also points to the reader asking them what difference they want to make in the world with their occupation and whether they want to determine their worth and value based on their salary or by helping others and making a difference.

Anaphora and Repetition

Anaphora is defined as the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a clause that occurs in successive clauses, one after another. The effects of this literary device are often to persuade, inspire, motivate, and encourage. Mali uses anaphora throughout “What Teachers Make” to create a sense of momentum as he builds his argument. The lines that begin with “I make” (Line 18, Line 23, Line 36) are all instances of anaphora. However, the strongest example of this literary device is in Lines 38-44 when Mali’s speaker successively begins each line with the same two words:

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them spell… (Lines 39-44)

This repetition builds momentum as Mali’s speaker approaches the climactic moment of the spoken word piece, an iconic feature of slam poetry. By using anaphora, Mali establishes a consistent, point-after-point argument. Like anaphora, repetition is a fundamental poetic technique in which poets use the same word or phrase repeatedly throughout the poem. Mali repeats a variety of words throughout “What Teachers Make.” In Lines 49-52, his repeated use of the word “this” (Line 49, Line 50, Line 52) to end the line adds a rhythmic, sonic quality akin to end rhyme. Similarly, in Stanza 3, Mali ends two lines with the phrases “do you?” (Line 28) and “don’t you?” (Line 33), which adds a rhyming, sonic quality.

Rhetorical Questions

Mali uses rhetorical questions throughout “What Teachers Make,” which is a literary poetic device in the form of a question that is asked just for effect; this literary device is often used to emphasize a point as the answer is usually obvious. Mali’s use of rhetorical questioning in the poem gives the poem a specific mood and tone. Having taught for many years, Mali is well-versed in classroom management. He is familiar with every trick a student might pull to try to get out of class or avoid doing work. Stanza 3 features several rhetorical questions, which Mali poses to illustrate his prowess as an educator. For instance, “Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom?” (Line 26) and “And you don’t really have to go to the bathroom, do you?” (Line 28) both ask a question that expects no answer. Both the student and Mali both know that Mali is right; the student doesn’t have to go to the bathroom, and the only reason they’re asking to go is, as Mali’s speaker puts it, “Because [they’re] bored” (Line 27). Because these questions are self-evident, this literary device is largely used for style. Sonically, Mali uses it to create moments of end-rhyme and repetition. Like repetition, rhetorical questions are used to persuade. Lastly, this device is also used to draw the audience’s attention, a key feature of spoken word slam poems. By using questions throughout “What Teachers Make,” Mali creates his own dialogue, in which he can respond to or answer the rhetorical questions with his own lines, allowing him to further propel the poem’s argument.