When it comes to Whitfield’s poetry, his tone stands out as a key factor of his writing style. Most of the writing about slavery from black authors in the 1800s features ugly themes and retelling of experiences, but Whitfield excels at bringing his cynical attitude to the surface of his poetry. He also includes redeeming moments that instill hopefulness. His poem America exemplifies his direct tone of writing. He wastes no time to set the tone in his opening passage “America, it is to thee,| Thou boasted land of liberty, ¬¬-| It is to thee I raise my song,| Thou land of blood, and crime, and wrong” (1-4). Other writers such as Douglass, one of his admirers, write on similar topics. He lays out information about the atrocities of slavery