I believe that his poem exemplifies this chapter. When the author is "facing the lion" they are simply stating what is happening around them but then there is this internal conflict that is being discussed. (More to be uncovered) Additionally, the author indirectly discusses the issues that affect his day to day but the language he uses highlights the issue of oppression and lack of freedoms.
I think this shows a great example of a person facing their lion and then being transformed by it. The narrator states "that all these walls oppression builds/ Will have to go!." It seems as though they took in their situation that they were originally blind to and then decided that they could not stay in it any longer. I wonder then how this relates to Hirschfield's view that this lion is "an untamed part of the world." Maybe the speaker is not seeking to tame the lion but accept its existence in an effort to move forward and transform it, and, in turn, transform their world.
Hello Dee,
This was a great choice! I felt the speaker grappling with the shadow inside themselves as well as the shadow of their outside world, and saw the light come through at the end when they became more resolved. I think that Hirshfield would agree that this is great example of "facing the lion". Great job!