Sharon Olds’ free verse poem “On the Subway” rests on the border of white and black, resides on the fringe of light and shadow. The poem contrasts the lives of two very different people, a young black male and a wealthy white woman. Through the use of brilliant similes and vivid diction the speaker of the poem, the white women, is able to recognize the stark differences between blacks and whites. The literary devices illustrate the tumultuous past that divides blacks and whites and the incompatible nature of the present. Due to the divergent face she sees sitting on the other side of the subway, the speaker begins to evaluate the importance of race in society. Olds’ use of striking imagery and point of view helps the speaker realize that color is a …show more content…
In the beginning lines of the poem, the wealthy white woman is studying the young man who is on the subway. She notices his black sneakers and that they are “laced with white in a complex pattern like a set of intentional scars” (Olds). This simile subtly symbolizes the past struggles of African Americans. The specific diction used in this phrase is essential to develop the contrast between races. Olds carefully uses the word “intentional” to describe these scars. These wounds were no accident; these events were not done by mistake. These white laces that look like a set of deadly scars symbolize the slavery, discrimination, and segregation blacks have suffered through. These black sneakers represent all the events that divide blacks and whites. This simile builds the tremendous contrast found in the poem by reminding the audience of all the events that make blacks and whites two separate entities. Further in the poem the contrast is developed further through the use of intense imagery. The speaker vividly describes the outfits of both characters on the subway to show their differences. The black boy is wearing “red like the inside of the body exposed” (Olds). This line