The diction in “The Negro’’s Complaint” is effective because it demonstrates that the enslavement of the Africans is unacceptable. Furthermore, the diction plays an instrumental role in protesting the manner in which the white people treat the Africans.
The poem uses important symbols that represent the real scenario of the slavery. The slaves are chained in their necks, and this means that their lives are dismal. Carrying a chain around one’s neck is burdensome and reduces ones joy in life. Additionally, the fetters imply that the slaves cannot enjoy their freedom.
Slavery degrades the Africans; thus the African is justified to complain to both God and the Slave owners. The slavery breaks the hearts of the slaves because it shows them that they are subservient human beings. The African challenges the slave owners for exhibiting double standards. On the one hand, the slave owners preach about God and salvation and on the other they dehumanize the Africans. The maltreatment of the Africans is a proof of the inhumanity of the men from England. The Europeans can prove that they are humane by stopping the mistreatment of the Africans because God does not have double standards.
