Table of Contents
Introduction:
The poem “In the Depths of Solitude” was written by American hip hop sensation Tupac Shakur The poem was published posthumously in 1999 in his collection, The Rose That Grew from Concrete. Shakur wrote most of the poems between 1989 and 1991.
About the Poet:
Tupac Amaru Shakur known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli. He was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists who havr sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Most of his works has been noted for addressing contemporary social issues that plagued inner cities.
Form:
The poem “In the Depths of Solitude” was written in free-verse form. So, there is no regular rhyme scheme or metre. As he is a rapper his poems sound like spoken words. Most Tupac poems and songs contain sensitive and serious issues. The free-verse form makes it appropriate to express his feelings over a subject matter.
Meter:
The poem “In the Depths of Solitude ” is composed in an irregular iambic-anapestic metre. His arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables create a rap-like flow in this poem.
Speaker of the poem:
The poem “In the Depths of Solitude ” was written from the first person point of view. Thus, the poet Tupac Shakur is the speaker of the poem.
Poem Analysis:
Lines 1-8:
I exist in the depths of solitude pondering my true goal Trying 2 find peace of mind and still preserve my soul Constantly yearning 2 be accepted and from all receive respect Never comprising but sometimes risky and that is my only regret
The speaker of the poem says that he is living in the depth of loneliness thinking about his goals. He says, that he is trying to find peace of mind while he stills wants to preserve his soul. He says, longing can be accepted. The speaker says he don’t want to compromise but he regrets for the risky taks in life.
Lines 9-16:
A young heart with an old soul how can there be peace How can I be in the depths of solitude when there R 2 inside of me This duo within me causes the perfect opportunity 2 learn and live twice as fast as those who accept simplicity
Now, the speaker says though he is young his soul seems to be old. So, he says that he has young heart with old soul. He is questioning his ownself. He asks how can there be peace. He asks how can he be in the depths of solitude where he has dual personality inside him. He says, this duo personality in him causes a perfect opportunity. This dual personality is giving him the abilty to learn and live twice. At the end of the poem he says one who choose simplicity will live their live twice as fast thant others.
