Teach the Middle Passage through one human voice, with the poet himself reading.
“No Sun Here” opens Section One of Bradford William Pazant’s collection We Were Never Meant to Beg for Light. It is a persona poem in the voice of an African captive in the hold of a slave ship. It begins in light, with a mother pounding millet into song and a child running through tall grass. It moves through the raid, the darkness of the hold and the ocean that “does not bargain,” and ends with a weight the speaker will carry forever. Students analyze how the poem holds memory that a history book cannot, then test it against primary sources.
What’s inside:
A 24-page printable PDF for two 50-minute class periods
A teacher guide with standards, a timed lesson sequence, differentiation and extension ideas
“Teaching with Care” guidance based on Learning for Justice’s Teaching Hard History framework: no simulations, begin with African life before the rupture, and center humanity and agency
Before Reading: a quick write and vocabulary in context
The full poem with line numbers, a listening guide and close-reading questions by part
A craft focus on light and darkness imagery and figurative language
A History Connection: the author’s Backstory, excerpts from Olaudah Equiano’s 1789 narrative, the Brookes slave ship diagram and a source comparison chart
A video viewing guide for the author’s video reading
Three Respond & Create choices (an analytical paragraph, an original “I Remember Light” poem, or a “So We Remember” memorial text), with a planning page, exit ticket and rubric
A teacher answer guide with possible responses
Audio: the author’s readings of the poem and its Backstory (MP3)
Video: “No Sun Here,” a 2:44 charcoal-and-ink video reading with captions (MP4)
Standards: 2023 NJSLS-ELA grades 9–10 (RL.CR.9–10.1, RL.CI.9–10.2, RL.TS.9–10.4, RL.MF.9–10.6, RL.CT.9–10.8, L.VI.9–10.4, W.AW.9–10.1, W.NW.9–10.3 and SL.PE.9–10.1), with notes for grades 11–12. Supports New Jersey’s Amistad mandate.
Content note: the poem describes the Middle Passage directly. The video uses stylized artwork with no graphic images, and its soundtrack includes distant screams, fire and a child coughing. An audio-only reading is included.
License: one teacher, for use with their own students. Please do not share, post publicly or resell. School and district licenses are available by request.