Songs of Cane

When Toomer was growing up, he lived all-white neighborhoods in Washington DC and New York. He did attend an all-black school in Washington, but an all-white shool in New York.
His urban upbringing did not prepare him for the way of life in the rural South.
While living in Georgia, he heard folk songs and spirituals for the first time and he liked them. Since he liked the songs, Toomer was sad to discover that the non-country folks did not appreciate the so-called shouting of the country folks and the folk songs and spirituals might disappeare.
In 'Cane', Toomer brings the songs out in 'Cotton Song', where he tries to capture a song through poetry, and 'Song of the Son' in which Toomer writes about a disappearing way of life. In 'Blood-Burning Moon', Toomer also mentions songs and their importance of old: 'The full moon in the great door was an omen. Negro women improvised songs against its spell.' Louisa herself also sings both in the beginning of the story and at the end when Tom has been burned. She sings to the moon as well.
The spirituals were the vocal expressions of the simplicity of the black religious faith. They used songs to teach the Bible during slavery when they were not allowed to learn how to read. The importance of these songs continued and have evolved over the years to the modern gospel.
Charlotte Carlsson