After reading Frederick Douglass's slavery fiction, I couldn't help but stop and try to gather my thoughts in any way I could. It wasn't the first time I read the narrative, but this time Douglass' words hit me much harder. Maybe it was because I read the narrative with a more critical lens, or maybe it was just that I'm older and more mature since I last read it, but whatever the reason, I can confidently say that reading the narrative it has changed. my heart and opened my eyes in many ways. I have always been aware of the injustices involved in slavery, and of course, like many other people, I have been taught about slavery in a historical narrative my entire life. But Frederick Douglass' narrative does more than provide historical perspective in viewing the injustices of slavery. His narrative asks the reader to look directly into the eyes of real slaves and realize their heartbeat and existence as human beings. Douglass humanizes people whose terrible acts we learn about as early as elementary school. This is why I decided to write this poem. Reading the narrative really made me think about Douglass' journey and the story he tells on his path to freedom. I felt like he was really speaking to me, and in turn, I wanted to give Douglass a voice in my writing. I have written many poems in my life, but I have never written a poem embodying another person. I tried to think about Douglass' emotions and feelings and write from that position, rather than simply presenting a historical overview of what slavery was. I wanted to connect with Douglass and use his fiction to write my poetry. I know I will never be able to feel exactly what… middle of paper… that semblance of heaven” (431). I felt really connected to Douglass' emotions at this point in the narrative and in my poem. His sheer frustration and anger are completely justified. He eventually achieved freedom, but the eternal consequences of being a slave remained with him forever. Although he escaped, the mental torment of his life, full of scenes of corruption and hatred, could never leave his head. While this poem is just a small snapshot of what I personally thought Douglass was going through, I could never properly understand the frustration. he must have had. My hope in writing this poem was not to provide a psychoanalysis or framework of theoretical ideas to an audience, but rather to show that even today, a modern audience member like myself, can appreciate the struggle of another human being and speaking out against injustices, particularly in Douglass's It's Time.