Who do you imagine to be the speaker of this poem? What will ...

[Jkov05]

Who do you imagine to be the speaker of this poem?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What effect does the parenthetical comment in the poems last line create?Would the poem be different if it were omitted?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[spencer.martell]

Answer to Question 1

• The speakers identity is crucial to the symbolic structure of the poem. He is an African American, and both terms of that designation bear directly upon the poems concerns. He is both an individual and the symbolic representative of his racea brother, a spurned darker brother but nonetheless a member of the family who knows he has an unquestioned right to live in the home.

Answer to Question 2

• The vehement imperative in the parenthetical comment is clearly directed by the speaker at herself. It is as if writing down this mantra of denial, giving it permanent form, will somehow make it more real and insulate her more securely against feeling this ultimate loss. That she feels the need to take this step intensifies our awareness of the futility of her attempt to escape the pain of her situation.

[Jkov05]

TYSM

[billybob123]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it