▁war ; ▁and ▁the ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Mar ne , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁cas ual ties ▁for ▁the ▁French . ▁ ▁Race ▁ ▁The ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁poem ▁includes ▁multiple ▁references ▁to ▁brand ▁names ▁(" Z ig - Z ag ," ▁" L ion ▁No ir ," ▁and ▁" C ac ao ▁B look er "), ▁which ▁Brig gs ▁describes ▁as ▁introdu cing ▁them es ▁of ▁emp ire ▁and ▁black ness . ▁A ▁reference ▁to ▁" Y AN KE ES " ▁in ▁the ▁poem ▁refers ▁to ▁Americans ▁who ▁stayed ▁in ▁Europe ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Brig gs ▁notes ▁that ▁some ▁African - Amer icans ▁moved ▁to ▁Mont mart re ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁more ▁toler ant ▁place . ▁Later , ▁a ▁description ▁of ▁black ▁music ▁notes ▁turns ▁into ▁African - American ▁mus icians ▁playing ▁jazz . ▁Brig gs ▁points ▁out ▁that ▁although ▁the ▁reference ▁to ▁jazz ▁introdu ces ▁ideas ▁of ▁liber ation , ▁for ▁a ▁present - day ▁reader , ▁the ▁language ▁used ▁in ▁this ▁scene ▁is ▁very ▁rac ist . ▁ ▁In flu ences ▁ ▁Mir r le es ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁Jean ▁Co ct eau ' s ▁Le ▁Cap ▁de ▁B onne - Esp é rance ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁for ▁Paris . ▁Both ▁po ems ▁mention ▁" BY R R H " ▁and ▁" St . ▁John ▁at ▁Pat mos ." ▁Par mar ▁conject ures ▁that ▁Mir r le es ▁might ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁influenced ▁by ▁her ▁friend ▁Ger tr ude ▁Stein . ▁She