In our society we are taught to differentiate ourselves from others. Whether it be economical or the color of our skin, we are sectioned off into specific categories. In her poem “On the Subway”, Sharon Olds uses different literary devices such as imagery, allusions, and symbolism to contrast two different characters.
Old implements imagery as the main literary device to contrast her two characters, more specifically black and white, darkness and light. In the lines, “...in black sneakers laced with white in a complex pattern like a set of intentional scars..” Old alludes to the era of slavery, where black males were whipped on their bare bodies into submission. Moreover, when she says “I am wearing dark fur..” further emphasizes that both