Reading the words of M. NourbeSe Philip’s “Discourse on the Logic of Language” I envision her reenacting how Frederick Douglas would have taught himself how to read. M.NourbeSe Philip repeats the word language continuously throughout her poem however she bre aks the word into two parts as if she is making sense of the word to create a deeper understanding of it. The words she continuously repeats throughout her poem are languish and anguish, meaning;
languish – suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation, and
anguish – severe mental or physical pain or suffering.
The two words which eventually form the word language play a heavy role in the life and upbringing of Frederick Douglas he suffered mental and physical pain from his master Colonel Lloyd but also suffered immensely in the living conditions as a slave.

Reading Edict I, Philips explains as Frederick had explained that the slave owners did not want them to learn how to read or write as if they do learn they will eventually rebel against their masters, this was the reason why Frederick wanted to learn how to read and write, he wanted the opposite of what his master both wanted and rejected.

Along with the words she repeats, I hear the early life of Frederick Douglas before learning how to read and write. As a child growing up Frederick and most young children were not allowed to grow with their mothers, they were separated and the use of tongue represents the connection Frederick had with his own mother which was broken as if it were a synonym for an umbilical cord. The connection with the word tongue and the mother plays a large role in both the life of Frederick Douglas and Philip’s Discourse on the Logic of Language.