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On The Subway Sharon Olds Analysis

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“On the subway” is a poem written by Sharon Olds. I’ve never rode on the subway before so I can’t really say much, but Sharon Olds has a lot on her mind. In this poem, Olds brings together two worlds into a closer proximity. She creates two portraits in the poem by using a variety of literary elements such as tone, diction, and imagery. The two portraits she creates are also significantly different.
One of the portraits she creates is a black male sitting across from her on the subway.
He’s described as wearing a big size of sneakers and wearing red. She describes him as intimidating. Then she describes herself as a white woman wearing dark fur, “the whole skin of an animal taken and used” which implies she is a bit wealthy to afford this jacket.
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