In Sharon Olds’s poem “On the Subway,” a white woman details her observations of a young black male as they sit across each other on the subway. Through her observations, she lists distinct differences between herself and the boy. Olds uses imagery, tone, and mood to identify the contrasts that develop the characters of the poem. Throughout the poem, Olds uses vivid imagery to create a reality of the appearance of the boy and the woman. One example of the imagery is “He is wearing red, like the inside of the body exposed. I am wearing the dark fur, the whole skin of an animal.” The woman notes the significant differences in clothing. Clothing is an indication of your status in society. In this line, the woman’s high fashioned-clothing sets