The Slave Songs

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Go Down, Moses", and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" are all songs written by slaves before the Civil War (Three). They were written anomalously by the working slaves (Three). They were passed on by word of mouth from slave to slave and plantation to plantation (Three). The stories reflect the lifestyles of the slaves (Three). The slaves changed the versus as the song progressed from farm to farm (Three). The story "Swing Low, Sweat Chariot", reflect naturalism. They do because the song give the listener a chance of hope. Naturalism is a type of literature based on the belief that you can create what you want to happen, to happen (Campbell). In the song, the singer says, "A band of angels coming after me, coming to carry me home" (Swing). This shows great naturalism because the singer knows they can not leave the real home they are on, on the plantation. The wish they could leave the horrible thing called slavery, which they are in for life. The slaves sang the songs when they were worshiping (Three). The chariot represents that carriage that will take them to heaven (Swing). It means that the hand of God will come and get them and take them to heaven where they will be away from the hellish ordeal of slavery. The slaves were very religious. They refereed to the Bible for information (Three). They also used symbols from the Bible to talk to each other when they were not allowed to talk with each other (Three). Moses is a character in the Bible that led his people to freedom. The first line of the song basically tells the whole story, it goes, "Go Down, Moses, Way down in Egypt's land; Tell ole Pharaoh, Let my people go (Moses). This is very religious because it is referring to a specific instance in the Bible and the slaves are begging for a man like Moses to come and save them. Same in the song, "Keep Your Hand on the Plow". The singer is talking about some slaves that were in "jail" (Plow). They were referring to the story in the Bible when Paul become imprisoned and there is an earthquake to get him out (Plow). The slaves were complaining that there was nothing coming to get them out of slavery (Plow). The slaves know if they hold on a keep working, good things will come to them if the wait. That is why they sing, "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" (Plow). The songs are filled with great sorrow and hope. They are sad at the situation they are in, but they hope they will get out. They know God has a plan for them and it will come true. It does sort of come true with the ending of the Civil War. The slaves were freed after the Civil War and ended what was true slavery. The songs reflect great Naturalism. They do because it is talking about what the slaves want out of their life which is not slavery. It is much different than realism because though the slaves are talking about the hardships they are going through, they are still talking about what they want to happen, not what is happening (Werlock, Campbell).

Campbell, Donna M. "Naturalism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 27 July 2010. Web. 08 Feb. 2011.

"Three Spirituals." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 344. Print.

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 346. Print.

"Go Down, Moses." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 347. Print.

"Keep Your Hand on the Plow." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 348. Print.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/