Answer:
This stanza is part of the poem What do we do with a variation? wrote by the Jamaican based in England James Berry. His work is related to the analysis of differences and the relation between black and white cultures because of his origin and life. Following this, we can understand better the main theme of the poem that we have here. At this respect, we can say that he is pondering what do people should do with all the differences that would be present in life.
1. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PHRASE “LET APPLICATION ACKNOWLEDGE IT” MEANS? HOW MIGHT IT CONNECT TO THE IDEA OF BARRIERS?
With this specific stanza the author is inviting the lector to reflex about what would be more correct when we have an evident difference (it could involve ideological or physical differences) appears in our everyday life and, just with the phrase “let application acknowledge it” he proposes two options:
1. To meet differences and solve it while they are happening; it is: let things occur and then search for a solution.
2. To first analyse things and then work to solve it.
The idea of barriers is, of course, related to this way of thinking because we are stating that the differences are constantly a problem, and problems would represent barriers when they move people away or create conflicts. We can notice that Berry’s thinking is to not have racial, cultural or economic differences in any place.
2. SUMMARIZE STANZA (one or two sentences, doesn’t need to be long)
As we already said, the stanza reflex the way of thinking of the author: it is a world that doesn’t make differences or discriminate anyone because of its beliefs, culture, sexual orientation or economic situation. He is claiming to “let the barriers to fall down” which means to avoid and eliminate all these discriminating situations. Thus, James Berry recommends us to act in order to live in an inclusive and equitable world.
