Analyzing Gwendolyn Brooks' Poem First Fight. Then Fiddle.

Gwendolyn Brooks' poem First Fight. Then Fiddle. is a wonderful example of a sonnet that follows the traditional rules, while adding a bit of a modern twist. The sonnet itself was developed hundreds of years ago, but intrepid writers such as Brooks always find a way to spice it up. The poem itself follows the Petrarchan-sonnet form, which is by definition a very structured way to write a poem. This allows the reader to receive more enjoyment by being surprised by Brooks innovation while using such an old form. Originality seems to be a term that many poets strive for and Brooks clearly demonstrates that just because a poem has structure, it can also be original.

The Petrarchan sonnet employs a general scheme of breaking the poem into two different "sections" of an octave and a sextet. Brooks' poem uses this exact scheme, fitting the mold perfectly. She changes the tone of the poem between the eighth and ninth line. The first eight lines speak of fiddling. "...Ply the slipping string/ With feathery sorcery; muzzle the note/ With hurting love; the music that they wrote..." (lines 1-3) These lines demonstrate the idea of fiddling, while still fitting in with the rhyming patterns of the rest of the poem. The poem's tone takes a sharp turn at the line "A while from malice and from murdering." Before this line, no mention of anything violent or ultimately harsh. She even goes so far as to use the imagery of sweet things such as honey to show the reader that these first eight lines do signify something good, and that the reader should pay attention.