Patricia Smith Scribe Literary Devices

Literary devices are commonly used in poems and in stories to express a simple idea in a more complex and interesting manner. Patricia Smith uses theme, tone, and imagery in “Scribe” to tell her poem in the perspective of a mother speaking of her incarcerated son. In the poem the protagonist is a single black mother speaking of her son who’s gained the nickname scribe (the title of the poem) for his poems and love letters. “Scribe” writes for his inmates so they are able to send letters to their mothers and girlfriends. He uses his words to maintain important even in a place as bad as a prison. The protagonist is the mother of Scribe. She is the one sharing her emotions about her son and describing her pride for him and the reason behind it. …show more content…
In “Scribe” the protagonists carries the poem out in a positive manner. Showing pride of who her son is and what he has made of himself even if he has been arrested. “He was the writer then, but now, reluctant resident of the Middlesex County House of Corrections, he is the writer, sanctioned by the baddest of baddasses becuase he has trumpeted the power of twisting verb and noun not only to say things, but to get shit” Even though the son of the protagonist is in jail she still feels proud of him stating even in the worst situations he has found a way to gain power. She recognizes that he has always been able to work with words. Given the circumstances he’s in she’s glad he is able to continue to use his words to keep him well. She is mostly proud that with the ability of using his words instead of violence or physical intimidation he has been able to maintain his peace and well …show more content…
Theme is the subject the poem is about. The theme of Scribe is the pride a mother has for her son. The protagonist of the poem expresses the pride she has of her son the poet. The young man everyone goes to for love letters and poems when they want to send beautiful words to their loved ones. Any mother would be proud to hear their son is praised for their intelligence. “On deadline, he spins imposible sugar onto the precise lines of legal pads, pens June/moon dripping enough to melt a b-girl’s hard heart.” Although it is not usually inappropriate for a mother to express the joy and pride she has for her son in this poem it is. If this young man was a symbol of a man of society then there would be nothing wrong for a mother to have her son on a pedestal, most mothers do. But the son of this women is not an example to lead by, yes he is infact seeked for his abilities but it is where he resides where the inapropriate theme is most noticeable. “They paying me to write love letters to their ladies. I write poems if they rather have that, this one big musclehead brother everybody be sweatin even asked me to write a letter to his mama on her birthday.” This young man is in jail and is writing to his mother from a prison cell. He is telling stories of all his inmates how even the baddest of the bad look to him for his beautiful letters. It is not inappropriate for a mother to be proud of her son but it is inappropriate to glorify