flesh/the body (motif)
The motif of the flesh connects to the larger theme of the metamorphosis of the self in "The Liar." The speaker in this poem attempts to "claim" his flesh, but when he calls for his body alone, he gets "entrances of spirit" as well. Thus, the question of whether or not we can separate our physical and internal selves becomes a poignant one. This question is complicated when it comes to the flesh's "comforts"—the body's physical pleasures—which are "hideous uses" to the speaker.
"It is Roi / who is dead" (allegory)
In the context of "The Liar," the short quotation "It is Roi / who is dead" in the final stanza constitutes allegory because it contains two levels of significance, one literal and one symbolic. It is important to note that "Roi" in this passage is a nickname for LeRoi Jones, Baraka's name at the time of the publication of this poem. In this quotation, the speaker refers to two types of death: the literal death that brings an end to life, and a metaphorical death or change of an identity after a metamorphosis has taken place. When the unnamed group says this phrase, the speaker responds with a question: "I wonder / who will they mean?" The dead person referred to here could either be Baraka himself as he ponders how he will be remembered after death or LeRoi Jones, who no longer exists after the speaker's metamorphosis. Thus, Baraka questions how he will be remembered after he changes and whether past selves have a legacy of their own.
