Robert Hayden's 'The Whipping'

Robert Hayden was a man whose life held both pain and accomplishment. With his experience he followed many dark themes into his poems. One of the many poems he wrote “The Whipping” took the thought of pain following others throughout all life's stages and created a realistic portrayal of long lasting punishment. Robert Hayden’s “The Whipping” conveys the effect of punishment and fear on people by utilizing point of view, vivid imagery, and diction.
Within Hayden's poem, he presents many themes concerning fear, pain, and traumatic experiences. Many of Hayden’s poems come from his own life, and by having someone watch a boy getting beaten he recounts his own horrific experience as a child (“The Whipping”). Pain and fear that follow individuals are seen as common themes in “The Whipping”, each character that is described in …show more content…
The poem “The Whipping” by Robert Hayden has a theme how pain can happen and follow anyone. This is explained on how each point of view shares an age perspective. The first speaker is someone who once has had this punishment that they are now witnessing. The next is the boy who is getting beat himself, he is accounting how he will never see the person beating him the same. The already stated proves it will follow the boy later in life. Last we see the last perspective of the lady who beat the boy. She is tired and reminded of her own pain from being punished the same way. While leaning against a tree she is trying to justify her actions with her own pain. Each source explains how the diction and imagery add to the pain signified and I totally agree with the idea. The diction clarifies the punishment being received and makes the severity seen. Imagery used is relatable, yet so extreme that the reader can see the effect it can leave. The poem truly explains the effect of punishment and how it always follows leaving significant marks on each