1.Du Bois believes that his “sorrow songs” are of great significance to the history and culture of African Americans, but because they represent the aspirations and beliefs of African Americans in the slave society at that time. Each song has a different meaning, but they tell us that African Americans aspire to move forward in a more real world. Although the slaves’ minds and their relationships were clouded by fear, they still held on to the hope of a better life, held together, fumbled for some kind of strength, and longed for the ultimate justice.

2.In this chapter, I think “My Way Is Cloudy” and “Michael Row The Boat Ashore ” are the most meaningful songs. For they represent, respectively, the rebirth of the hope for freedom and the rebirth of the triumph of the African American people through their unceasing struggle. These represent different turning points in the history of African Americans.

1. According to Du Bois, his “tragic song” is of great significance to the history and culture of African Americans. Since these songs show the development of the African American form, these songs reflect the desire for peace in the afterlife, so that they are quite important.

2. In this chapter, I believe that “My Way is the Cloud” and Go Tell It On the Mountain” are the most important songs, because they represent African Americans’ special status and status in History Secure and free.

As the song starts it feels like it want to be free. As the word also said “i want to fly away” which clearly indicates that with the hardships they just want to leave behind everything and be free.

1. According to Du Bois, the significance of what he calls the “sorrow songs”to African American American history and culture is because those songs hold very deep and rooting significance to what African Americans experienced in the dirty grasp of slave owners and slavery in general but it doesn’t only hold significance to that it also acts as sort of a “coping mechanism” for the people and how they held joy and meaning into the words spoken out as retaliation for the sanity they still hold and to heal with the people around them also affected which brought them all in unity.
2. The song that is featured in this chapter that is the most significant in my opinion is “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” because it holds the meaning of abolition and being set free which is what the whole point of these songs are and help hold up why the significance of these “sorrow songs” are so important because it holds a special place in African American history in gaining freedom.

1. According to Du Bois, what is the significance of what he calls the “sorrow songs” to African-American history and culture?
2. Which of the songs featured in this chapter us the most significant, in your opinion, and why? (Check out the Spotify playlist if you are not familiar with them.)