The Truth Within Imagery is an effective part of poetry. It allows readers to see what they are reading, and if the image is vivid enough, perhaps even feel the intensity of emotions within. Poems like “White Lies,” by Natasha Trethewey, and “Theme for English B,” by Langston Hughes, are saturated with color and carry a powerful voice. The imagery of these poems suggests a prominent theme of truth and identity as a critical topic for black Americans. By utilizing literary techniques such as diction, imagery, speaker and setting, the poets are able to communicate the severity of race issues in America. Diction is especially significant in poetry since so much often depends upon just a few words. Those words are key to developing clear images for the readers. In “White Lies,” the young speaker says phrases like, “light-bright, near-white, / high-yellow, red-boned / in a black place, / were just white lies”
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Although, he is not willing to give up his complexion or his home. Harlem is apart of him, “[he] hears [it]” (line 18). He is proud to be black, but also American. The same American as his white professor. He writes his theme for class in hopes that it will influence not only himself, but the person who will read it. Then perhaps the truth “will be / a part of [the instructor]” (lines 29-30) as they are a part of each other as human beings on the same earth.
The truth is different for each of the poem’s speakers but the message is still the same. Identity can be a major struggle for those on the outside, but one will eventually realize who he or she wants to be. Trethewey and Hughes both sought to create the persona of an individual who was unsure of their identity, but came to a resolution in the end. These speakers carried the doubts and insecurities of real and ordinary people, which are feelings that readers could potentially apply to
Although, he is not willing to give up his complexion or his home. Harlem is apart of him, “[he] hears [it]” (line 18). He is proud to be black, but also American. The same American as his white professor. He writes his theme for class in hopes that it will influence not only himself, but the person who will read it. Then perhaps the truth “will be / a part of [the instructor]” (lines 29-30) as they are a part of each other as human beings on the same earth.
The truth is different for each of the poem’s speakers but the message is still the same. Identity can be a major struggle for those on the outside, but one will eventually realize who he or she wants to be. Trethewey and Hughes both sought to create the persona of an individual who was unsure of their identity, but came to a resolution in the end. These speakers carried the doubts and insecurities of real and ordinary people, which are feelings that readers could potentially apply to