Sharon Old's Poem On The Subway
419 Words2 Pages
Old’s uses imagery to bring a contrast to the two characters in the poem. The white woman describes the man as having “the casual look of a mugger” to let the reader understand the mindset of the white woman being at first afraid of him. The lady wonders whether the African American male has a sort of advantage over her based on his appearance, and the way he appears to be carrying himself while on the subway. The lady also contrasts the different ways both of them are dressed while sitting on this subway. She notices that “his feet are in huge, black sneakers laced with white
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“On the Subway,” written by Sharon Olds, is written from the perspective of what is presumed to be an upper class white woman, who finds herself on a subway with a lower class black boy. In “On the Subway”, Olds focuses on the controversial issue of racial conflict, and the theme of White v. Black. She does so by use of contrast between whites and blacks, by using harsh enjambments, powerful imagery, and by using the tone to convey the purpose. A major strategy used by Olds throughout the poem is contrast; in this case, the contrast between blacks and whites.
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