The poem “On the Subway” by Sharon Olds plays off its title to convey a sense of uncertainty, dread, fear, and urban tension. The poem itself details the feelings experienced by the speaker as she sits on the subway, though the subway itself is not mentioned in the poem itself. The situation is set by the title, and this makes all that follows clear as far as its meaning is concerned. The poet creates a dramatic situation through the eyes of one participant, and while nothing really happens beyond two people observing one another, the poem says much about urban life, racial relations, and accompanying fears.
The poet attempts to lay bare the similarities and differences between the life of a Caucasian person and that of an African American person by contrasting two people of this description through the poem. Using a vast array of poetic devices, imagery and traditional racial stereotypes; the poet develops the insight into the connections, separations, needs and wants of these two societal entities. This is where the sociological lens comes into play, where the differences of society affect our daily lives. The poet utilizes a lot of imagery in the poem, most vividly dark and light as well as animal imagery to contrast her two characters.
With the two lines “in black sneakers laced with white” (line 2-3) and “I am wearing dark fur,” (line 11); poet shows that each of them, although they have different skin pigments, contain aspects of dark and light. This is very significant, as it reinforces the fact that the race is merely skin color, and that underneath all of this we are all the same, although the poet takes it further than this, showing aspects of dark and light in what they are wearing on the outside. The poet insinuates through this comparison that not only are we the same on the inside, but each of us strives for a small aspect of the other world.
The Term Paper on John Keats Life Poets Poem
... while. Would we really appreciate light if we had never seen dark? Life wouldn't be nearly as treasured ... understood this and secretly summarized his life in this poem. Keats lost many of his family ... while other poets tell about events and comparisons of time periods. Keats not only uses imagery in ... indoors. There, Keats could concentrate on his poems without disturbance yet also watch and listen ...
The boy’s white lace and the speaker’s fur coat represent the struggle for equilibrium between these aspects. The poet uses a lot of animal imagery as well, to describe the two characters, and to dig down and show the primitive nature and similarities of the two people. The line “He is wearing Red, like the inside of the body exposed. I am wearing dark fur, the whole skin of an animal taken and used,” (line 9-13) shows that the boy represents the inside of an animal, and the speaker represents the outside. This is used by the poet to enforce the idea that each character is only part of the puzzle.
Without skin, an animal would die, but without insides, an animal would never live. The poet uses animal imagery in the poem “On the Subway” to show the deep connection between the speaker and the boy. The tone shifts at the end of the poem. Here, it is clear that the speaker is trying to gain an understanding of the relationship between the white world and that of the black boy. At first, she realized that they are different because “he is black and I am white” (line 21-22).
The image of the “black cotton” (line 25) alludes to slavery, again referring to the scars, or distinctions, imposed by white society.
Aside from the various connections established by the poet between the boy and the speaker, the poet utilizes a lot of racial stereotypes to show the distance between the characters who exists despite the close ties and connection that they share. Lines such as “he has the casual look of a mugger” (line 7-8) and “He could take my coat so easily” (line 16) develop the psyche of the speaker and her instant fear of the boy due to the color of his skin. This helps to develop the theme of the ridiculousness of racism. People should not have all of these preconceived notions of people based on the color of their skin.
The Essay on American Boy Jonathan Football Mckinnon
Remember your high school days? The pep rallies, the big football game, and how the football players were treated like royalty? In Children of the River, Linda Crew describes the world of Willamette Grove, where Jonathan McKinnon is your typical white, suburban, All-American boy. He is the big football star who everyone likes. Jonathan is described as your All-American boy, and for good reasons. ...
This is especially important to look at, because of Sharon Olds being an American poet. American society is one of many races and nationalities, but a rift has always existed between the African American and Caucasian populations, dating back to slavery. For American society to flourish, black and white people must become as one, as each can gain or lose from the other. Just as the parts of an animal, African American and Caucasian people in American society must function together in order for the body of society to work together properly. This is the main idea conveyed by Sharon Olds in her poem “On the Subway. “
