What does this mean?

What's the context mate?

Speak with a forked tongue is to mask the truth or say one thing and mean another/bend the truth
 
Welllll....PV may have to step in here (I did A Level English Lit quite a while ago), but

Are they saying:

On one hand they're speaking lies and being decietful, yet quoting the constitution in whenever they're under public scrutiny?

name='"PP"' said:
"A Wreath for Emmett Till"

Not read that so just taking a rough guess here
 
Rough draft of page 1 (For those who may have read this plesae advice)

Marilyn Nelson’s “A Wreath for Emmett Till” could easily be interpreted as an out cry for help with racism. Nelson feels it is unfair that people are judged by the color of their skin. Imagine a fourteen year-old Africa American boy whose innocence and life was taken away from him. She uses figurative language to change the content in order to achieve a different meaning. Racism is an atrocity to everyone.

“The crowds standing around like devil choirs,” watching people being hanged and burned alive. Nelson describes the crowds as devil’s choirs because they stand and witness a murder happening, and do nothing about it. The word choir is used to make you feel like dozens of people, singing the same song (chanting to see the young boy brutally killed). Devil represents the sins people are carelessly making and how murder is bad. They are supporting a bad cause.

Nelson said ‘thousands of oak trees” were “groaning” because of the growing numbers of people being “slain for their race”. These trees are in pain and distress. Imagine if the trees could talk. Can you picture what they would say? Or how they would tell you what happened. What these trees have witnessed is something no one can imagine. The amount of bodies dangling from these oak trees is unbelievable and such a hassle on the trees themselves.

Oh and sorry im not forthcoming with alot of information. Ive only read it once and i forgot the book thingy at my best friends house.
 
I personally try to sounds very positive "could be interpreted" could be more positive.

"Marilyn Nelson uses figurative language throughout "A Wreath for Emmett Till" to illustrate her attitude towards racism. The book is a cry for help from the main African American character who's innocence, and indeed, life was taken away from him by a society that judges people not on their character and personality, but on the colour of their skin."

"hassle" also isn't a great word to use in an essay :) Try something like:

"Imagine if the trees could talk: would they tell you of the pain and distress of a suffering generation of African Americans? Would the trees tell of the weight of the dead they have had to bear with the thousands of bodies hanging off their over-extended branches? The "thousands of oak trees" are being used as a metaphor for the suffering of the minority black population, "groaning" at the sheer number of oppressed people "being slain for their race"

Probably being too OTT, but hope it helps in some way

Dunno if you like that better, just how I'd put the very first bit :)
 
name='PP Mguire' said:
Aye thanx alot. Its so hard trying to write without the info. i need to go get the book.

Aye the book tends to help :)

One thing I always remembered in Eng Lit: was that even if you're opinion of the text wasn't what the examiners agreed with, put a decent case behind it and back it up with quotes and evidence and u basically cannot be wrong
 
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