Random Notes to My Son Analysis

I have learned various lessons from the poem “Random Notes to My Son” by Keorapetse Kgositsile but I did not understand most of the poem at first glance. Prior to reading the poem I had very little background knowledge about the poet Kgositsile. When I first read the poem, it came off as very complicated and complex, only some things made sense. I took a very ignorant and close minded approach to the poem only due to the fact that I chose this poet because he is the father of a rapper named Earl Sweatshirt. I had many questions on what certain phrases or things meant, and after hard research and studying I found my answers. But I’m glad I took the time to study Kgositsile and the poem because not only was I educated on his struggles, but I was given advice I can use for the rest of my life. I may not have the same experiences or struggles as him, but I can use his advice in my life. The poem does not have one meaning like most poems do, but several different lessons to absorb.

As soon as I started reading the poem I did not understand very much of it. “Beware, my son, words that carry the loudnesses of blind desire also carry the slime of illusion.” Kgositsile is talking to his son Earl, in which he is talking about his sons early productions in rap which had dark lyrics but with no dark intent in “real life”. He is telling his son that words are very powerful tools but if used incorrectly only serve as an illusion to distract people from the truth. His son did take notice of this and changed his style in his latest LP, but it great advice to anybody. “Dripping like pus from the slave's battered back” was an extremely hard simile for me to analyze. Before, I thought it was a reference to slavery or apartheid in South Africa. His simile means that illusions are also beat into us from our culture, just like a slave is beaten by its master, shaping ourselves into people that we aren’t.

In the second verse Kgositsile give a horrible image through smart and foul word play: “But here now our tongue dries into maggots as we continue our slimy death and grin.” Kgositsile is saying that people today are losing the ability to speak about anything meaningful, like the messages he writes through his poetry. The poem continues, “Except today it is fashionable to scream of pride and beauty.” Kgositsile continues his message into saying that people today only talk to about superficial topics such as wealth, jewelry, and appearance instead of deeper human issues. There is a large amount of dramatic advice given to Earl and readers of the poem.

Kgositsile left his son at the early age of six, to which he writes about his son’s feelings. “Confusion in me and around me confusion.” Earl had a hard life growing up without a dad only to rely on his Mom, who was a single parent. Kgositsile may not be directly approaching the song “Chum” Earl composed and sung, but he does understand his son’s confusion and struggles. Earl talks about his struggles with his dad through his rapping, “It’s probably been twelve years since my father left, left me fatherless And I just used to say I hate him in dishonest jest When honestly I miss this nigga, like when I was six And every time I got the chance to say it I would swallow it.” (Chum, Earl Sweatshirt). Kgositsile was never there for Earl as a kid, so he reaches out to him through is poetry.

“Today we move, we move?” Was the last line of the poem. I did not understand it the first couple times I read it. The repetition of the words “we move” imparts a call to action, and away from passivity. Kgositsile has given great advice and has helped me take a step back from the world and reevaluate myself. I’m going to turn this knowledge into life advice, and think before I do things or say things. I have not only learned a lot from this project, but I have learned so much from this class, including writing and open mindedness.