Harlem Hopscotch Poem Literary Devices

Maya Angelou’s “Harlem Hopscotch” paints the portrait of the struggle of African-Americans. Angelou stresses that “the system” has been set up so that people like her do not prosper. In spite of adversity, the poem conveys a sense of victory won by rejecting the expectations of others. “Harlem Hopscotch” acts as an extended metaphor by comparing the game of hopscotch to the constant jumping, hopping, twisting, and turning with the life of a person who not only has responsibilities much like any other person in society, but also is expected to quietly subjugate themselves to of a vicious form of discrimination: racism. This sonnet uses a number of poetic devices such as metaphors, imagery, and situational irony to convey the overall message.

African-Americans, especially at the time this poem Angelou wrote, must endure life despite being disadvantaged due of the color of their skin. This, in addition to economic difficulty, limits their opportunities. However, this affliction does not define them as an individual. Hence, why the actions such as hoping and turning in the poem never stop until the very end. Maya Angelou, an advocate for civil rights, addresses the poverty and racism that children and adults experience during difficult times in places such Harlem, a hub for African-American culture (“Maya”). Furthermore, “Angelou’s poetry can also be traced to African-American oral traditions like slave and work songs…and emphasis on individual responses to hardship, oppression, and loss” (“Maya”). Both Maya’s background and her tone weave together to form the flow of the

Throughout the entire poem in each stanza there is constant motion. By the end, everything ceases: “Both feet flat, the game is done. They think I lost. I think I won.” (13-14). Either people continue with life or life continues without them. Stopping is equated with both quitting and losing; however, when Angelou writes when the game has finishes; a shift appears. Ultimately, the poem indicates a reject of expectations set by other people; instead steers towards to taking control of destiny. The situational irony lies in that after all this trial and tribulation, the poem surprisingly evokes feelings of arising from the ashes with something quite unexpected: hope and