Hanging Out in the Music

        David Henderson's Hanging Out in the Music sort of depicts the atmospheric values of jazz music. Referred to as "jass" throughout the poem, I did some quick research and discovered that these terms are synonymous as "jass" was more of an old-school way of spelling it. In terms of content, the poem utilizes stanzas where the author groups sentences together in order to get a specific point across. The poem opens with a detailed description of the many aspects that unify to create the magical, unique and sensational charms of what makes music establishments great.

        The entire poem by Henderson must explain his very own passion for music as must have been inspired by his own experiences. The way he described the many elements of jazz explains that he is a not just an avid poet. While looking up Henderson's background, you can definitely tell he benefited from Amiri Baraka's wisdom of jazz music. This quote from the second stanza sums up his thoughts on jazz and its effects on a man: 

He felt the sparks of energy along his back

the wingspread within without

his eyes opened wider 

he saw everything in the room at once

and there was so much 

the trumpet hit a trill 

his stomach fluttered.  (Henderson 64)

Many of these elaborate details have to do with emotion. Each line has to do with some sort of mental awareness where this man is able detect or read the messages portrayed within jazz. 

        This specific poem fairly differs from the others as it is a third-person narrative. The narrator dictates what is happening in and around the protagonist while the others mostly do the same but in first-person. Furthermore, the other poems by Henderson seem to have a plot with a purpose to tell a story, whereas this one focuses on music as its main concept.