Roberson's City Eclogue continues down its path of rife political commentary and rich metaphorical comparisons to humanity, technology, and nature, and it's still every bit as convoluted on a first glance as the first half of the book. Everything is just as enjoyable, though, even if the intricacies stay misunderstood upon a second or third reading and the odd formatting is something of a headache. Some things are resoundingly clear up-front: "Ornithology" relates to each poem in some way, whether superficial or upon a deeper meaning, and his inferences are worded strongly as ever, especially in regard to racial tension.
"Not Brought Up" is a perfect example of this, and I think it works especially well in citing the fact that Roberson isn't just writing about how everything is today (or a current observation, anyway), but how things became the way they are (the title, I think, helps frame this nicely). The imagery at use here provides the reader with a perspective that, though it's on a subject we're all very much acquainted with at this point, is nonetheless haunting. The whole idea of the Civil Rights movement gains a new bit of traction in my mind when I realize that most, if not many, African Americans simply stayed quiet, and politicians did nothing about the issue while in office, out of perhaps both fear and prejudice. And, obviously, things were much worse before anyone had the courage to stand up and speak.
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