In the cotton tree, Sahr Sankoh uses brutal honesty, sarcasm, and satire to bring to light the pressing political issues of our time. The book contains 57 poems full of wit and sarcasm about things that we’ve all probably wanted to say at one time or another, but wouldn’t dare put into words. Sankoh’s brilliant use of alliteration takes world events to new heights, poking fun at a wide range of topics ranging from public transportation to Japanese horror movies to rap music and even touching on controversial topics like the missed flight. from Malaysia. Sankoh offers extremely thoughtful, yet humorous insights into pressing issues in today’s society, as well as pop culture, using light sarcasm and wit without being obnoxious or tactless.
the cotton tree It is different from most poetry books in that the poems are not the typical eight-line rhyming poems we were taught to compose in elementary school. Rather it is a unique collection of poems that vary in length and take lightly of often controversial issues in today’s culture. I especially like how Sankoh is brutally honest in the Foreword section of the book, letting us know that we don’t need to bother dissecting every line of every poem to find some deep “hidden meaning.” His poetry is more of “what you see is what you get”. nature. However, there is a brief synopsis of each poem at the end of the book which, in my opinion, only provides further insight into the brilliant workings of Sankoh’s enlightened imagination.
One poem that stands out to me is titled “Starbucks Behavior” in which Sankoh mocks the popular coffee shop and the type of clientele that frequents that iconic coffee establishment the most, including the type of coffee each “gender” prefers. Another favorite is “The Cassette Tape Culture,” which starts out as a walk down memory lane about the simplicity of the teenage years and how music was such a big part of that culture, then suddenly takes an unexpected turn ( but I won’t spoil it). If I have to choose a poem that I liked least, I would say it would be “God save the wolf.” Personally I felt this was a bit off putting and a bit over the top in my opinion but I would not recommend The Cotton Tree to anyone under the age of sixteen as it hits on some pretty adult themes at times.
General, the cotton tree is a delightfully humorous satirical journey into the world we live in today. One must take these poems with a grain of salt and know that they are meant to shed light and humor on sometimes dark and morbid themes. This book is not for those who are overly sensitive or highly moral. It’s a brilliant parody of today’s hot topics and I really enjoyed it. Sahr Sankoh has a way of making controversial topics seem less overwhelming. I definitely recommend this book if you have an open mind and a good sense of humor.