It takes courage to stand up for your rights. It even takes courage to stand up in front of class. So, you can imagine the courage it took for Rosa Parks to refuse to give up her seat for a white person. She had to defy the person in power (in this case the white bus driver), and defy the law. She didn't have any protection or legal rights. And while she was no doubt brave, that doesn't mean she wasn't frightened. Sometimes courage means acting in spite of your fears. In "Rosa," Dove really focuses on the fact that Rosa Parks was just a regular person like the rest of us. She didn't have superpowers to pull off this courageous act. She didn't even have a cape. All she had was conviction and dignity, and boy did that make all the difference in the world.
Questions About Courage
- What's so courageous about sitting on a bus?
- What lines in this poem indicate that the speaker felt Parks was courageous? Why did you choose those lines?
- How does the tone of the poem help illustrate Parks's courage? If you had to name the tone, what would you call it? What examples support your opinion?
Chew on This
While this poem recognizes Rosa Parks's courage, it also underplays it to show that anyone is capable of a heroic act. We're looking at you, Shmoopers.
This poem shows that, contrary to popular belief, Parks wasn't courageous; she was selfish. She just didn't want to give up her seat. We sure did not see that coming.