Genre
Poem
Setting and Context
Written in the concept of self-deception
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is incredulous, and the mood is fearful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The speaker/Amiri is the protagonist.
Major Conflict
There is a conflict between an individual self-understanding and societal perception and understanding.
Climax
The climax comes when the speaker questions the contemptuous substance in his life.
Foreshadowing
His identity crisis foreshadows the speaker's fear and confusion.
Understatement
Societal impact in one’s life is understated. For instance, the speaker’s confusion and identity crisis are linked to his societal perception.
Allusions
The poem alludes to self-deception and identity crisis.
Imagery
The images for black power and equality depict the sense of sight to readers.
Paradox
The main paradox is that when the speaker thinks deeply about his ego, he takes his life for granted.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between societal perception and an individual’s self-understanding.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
