Because "The Liar" is a poem about self-analysis where the only character throughout the poem is the speaker himself, its title complicates the reader's understanding of the speaker. Because the speaker is the only person referred to specifically in this poem, it seems logical to assume that the speaker himself is the "liar." If this is the case, then everything that the speaker asserts is put into question. As the readers of this poem, we cannot assume whether everything in this poem is true or accurate based on this fact. We are left with some poignant questions to consider: to whom is the speaker lying (if anybody)? Which version of the speaker (pre- or post-metamorphosis) is the "liar"? What can we take as truth in a poem that is made ambiguous by its title?
Additionally, the question is raised as to what, specifically, the speaker might be lying about. Since this poem concerns a metamorphosis, it could be argued that the "liar" is actually the speaker's previous self, who thought he loved things he actually fears (Stanza I). However, there is also the possibility that the "liar" could be referring to the new version of the speaker, whose face is no longer familiar (Stanza III). Either way, both identities are put into question and the overall message of the poem is ambiguous. One might suggest that because of this fact, the poem itself is arguing that any kind of public reclamation of identity is sufficient because it is impossible to attain true knowledge of self. The fact that complete self-knowledge is impossible is evidenced by the fact that the speaker cannot "understand" his bodily/spiritual comforts (Stanza II).
This poem also shares a title with an 1810 poem by William Blake. Blake was a romantic poet from the 19th century that was famous for his vibrant use of supernatural and emotional language in his poetry. "The Liar" by Blake is addressed as a "deceiver" who has tricked the speaker and whose "trousers are alight." Interestingly, this poem is the source of the children's phrase "liar, liar, pants on fire." The two versions of "The Liar" are similar in that they use passionate and vibrant language. The poems are distinct in that Blake addresses someone who he believes to be a deceiver while Baraka's poem is motivated by self-reflection and self-analysis. By giving his poem a title that Blake has already used, Baraka places this work within an existing literary tradition that calls upon the past. However, this connection is ironized through the actual content of Baraka's "The Liar," which describes a break from old customs and traditions through a metamorphosis of self.
