... the holds of the ship, becoming more down trodden as their lives are taken away. The poet also uses the stick as a source of comparison: the whip used to beat the slaves and the stick used to beat the drum, as the slaves rowed themselves further towards life imprisonment. The poem is about the tragedy and suffering of the black democracy during the slave trade we know this because Brathwaite says 'dark deck is slavery' here he reminds us of the slave ships going from Africa to the Caribbean. This alliteration Brathwaite uses creates a harsh feeling and effect on the reader. The layout of the poem itself is quiet irregular. "Down, down, down". The layout sort of follows the pattern of the dance itself yet it can also suggest the slaves going down into lives of slavery. The word 'limbo' also suggests being stuck between two places. 'Long dark ...

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