Lorna Dee Cervantes Literary Devices

Lorna Dee Cervantes’ poem “Poem for the Young White Man Who Asked Me How I, an Intelligent, Well-Read Person Could Believe in the War Between Races” is different than the other poems she wrote in that the poem’s content appears to be meant to be taken very literally instead of metaphorically. From the title of the poem alone, the reader can conclude that the poem is a response to the person whom the poem is directed towards—the young white man. In addition, this particular poem dramatizes the conflict between the speaker and the white man over the topic of there being a war between races. Though the reader does not necessarily know who the speaker or narrator of this poem is, they can convey that the speaker is Cervantes. Cervantes utilizes this poem in order to tell the young white man that her acknowledgement of the war between races is not because of her lack of intelligence. In fact, Cervantes discloses that acknowledging that there is a war between races is not even relevant to a person’s intellect in the sixth stanza: “Racism is not intellectual.” Cervantes’ situation is unique in that she ensures that …show more content…
These first two stanzas project a jovial and tranquil tone that allow the reader to see how the young white man may wonder why or how a well-educated person like Cervantes could think that a war between race is present. Shortly after, however, a pivotal section of the poem arises in the third line of the third stanza as Cervantes asks the one and only question present in the poem: “do you think I can believe in a war between races?” Here the poem’s tone takes a dark turn and begins to address the dramatic issue of acknowledging a war between races is present. Cervantes responds by recognizing that she is able to reject the idea, but not until she feels safe—an additional reason why Cervantes dramatizes the thought of