The Warden Said to Me-Etheridge Knight-250

Speaker: The speaker of this poem is a man named Etheridge. Etheridge is an imprisoned black. Also, Etheridge is the name of the author, so it can be deduced that the speaker of the poem relates in some way to the author's past. The speaker uses incorrect English, and poor grammar. He is characterizing a common sterotype of blacks that was held by many whites during that time period. Ironically, the white warden too uses bad English, showing that he is not superior; they are truly equals.

Rhyme/Meter: In this poem, there is no rhyme scheme or meter. This poem is a personal account, giving a conversational and casual feel. Rather than an ineffectual attempt to describe the situation, the author brings the reader directly into a conversation. The fact that the poem is presented in this way shows the blight of the African American race, without obscuring it with personal bias.

Irony is utilized in this poem. The parenthetical interjection, "innocently, i think", is used twice. This is an example of verbal irony, as the speaker knows that neither man's remarks were innocent. The use of these two sarcastic lines shows the conflict between not only the two men, but their respective races, presumably white and black. Such sarcasm gives a malicious feel to the conversation, a certain bitterness that cannot be ignored. Also, as previously noted, it is ironic that both men speak with the same proficiency. Though in society they are far from equal, as men they are equal.

This entire poem is symbolic of the struggle between whites and blacks. Both races have struggled for power, and both have had groups that hate the other. This conversation in the poem does not represent the struggle of two men, rather it symbolizes the conflict between two races throughout history.

Reaction: I liked this poem for its simplicity and its straight-forward nature. It directly addressed a problem that still exists today. Because racism is still prevalent in American society today, it affected me greatly. I believe that all people are created equal, the idea of inherent superiority irks me tremendously. This poem actually evoked slight anger in me, because i hate injustice of any sort, especially because of something as meaningless as the color of one's skin.