‘Incident’ by Countee Cullen, Essay Example

The above poem is a terse portrayal of how a person feels when he is abused racially and how deeply the impact lasts on the mind. Personal comments of a negative nature are usually considered bad manners and contrary to the proper norms of etiquette, but when they are directed at a physical flaw or abnormality in the subject, they assume the insinuation of a downright bullying and discriminatory attitude. The physical flaw as depicted in this poem is nothing but the natural difference between skin colors of two different races. The abuser may derive sadistic pleasure by insulting somebody at a disadvantage, but the victim carries a mental scar for life which is irreparable. The poem is written in general layman language and doesn’t seem to come from the pen of a person with a background in classical English literature. English seems to be the second language of the speaker, who is the author himself. The diction, too, is suggestive of a dialect common amongst the colored people in the United States, the country where the poem is set and racial discrimination stayed for quite a long time. The connotation is self explanatory as one reads through the text and implies the injustice of racial discrimination. The poem is in past tense and has an anecdotal character. The poet’s point of view is to make the reader aware of the deep scar that has been created on his psyche due to this small incident. The imagery used, although not explained with use of more words, is precise and immediately transforms the reader into imagining a particular part and region of the US, Baltimore, which one associates in history as a multi ethnic, multi cultural society in those times, where there was definite racial discrimination.

The poem begins by portraying the internal feelings of the poet, while riding in the city of Old Baltimore. The poet has a positive frame of mind and shows qualities of cheerfulness and enthusiasm. His vision of the world shows positivity about the good things in life and the first stanza insinuates the reader to understand what his internal feelings were, as he rode some mode of transport in the city of Baltimore. It was with this positivity in his heart and mind that he noticed that he was being observed keenly by another person whom he subconsciously associates with the city of Baltimore, although it may not be exactly true, as the person was a stranger.

The second stanza describes the turning point in the poem, when the aura of positivity being felt by the poet was shattered by a single action as well word of the co passenger. The author, on being persistently gazed at by the stranger, responds in a fashion which is both natural as well as humane in nature. He smiles at the gazer, who was about the same age and size as that of the author. But the result is quite contrary to the poet’s expectations, in fact the word uttered by the stranger are like hot lead poured into one’ ears. Instead of smiling back, the stranger, whom now the reader can understand is white, calls the author a ‘nigger’ as well as insults him by a gesture of poking his tongue.

The third stanza shows how deep the effect of this small incident was on the author’s psyche, as it lies as an imprint on his mind forever. The author remembers nothing about Baltimore, except his hurt feelings despite staying ten more months in the city.

All three stanzas are a sequential narrative of events interwoven beautifully with simple words which convey the central theme of this poem. The narrative is a description of the initial feelings of the author and how they are changed dramatically by the single experience he has during the ride.

The poem has a telling effect on the reader’s mind and is written in terse stanzas. The first stanza builds up the scenario, the second one describes the event and the final stanza summarizes the effects of that event. Although all stanzas constitute just four lines, with the last words of the second and the fourth line in rhyme, each one of them explains the portrayal of the author’s thoughts in a beautifully illustrated manner. Each stanza follows the other in a sequential description of events which convey the fact of racial discrimination that might have existed during the author’s time. The first stanza describes the state of mind prior to the event; the second one narrates the event, leading to the sequel which follows in the last one. Although the language is not very eloquent, the words used are succinct enough to portray the true feelings of the author. The impact that a single gesture can have on one’s mind is shown beautifully in this poem which serves to awaken the reader’s conscience to the facts of life and how one particular section of society looks at another. The differences that exist due to skin color or race can blind person from one particular race to consider the other as inferior, depending upon the history and social norms prevailing in a particular region and country. The poem also shows how one’s psyche can be permanently affected by a single event, despite better situations and possibly happier events later in life. That first impression is the last impression is proven in this short poem, as the author associates nothing else, but the incident with the city of Baltimore.

The poem serves to bring to the notice of the reader, the profanity of racial discrimination that existed during the era it was written in. The language and the diction used shows that it comes from a victim of discrimination, who gets hurt due to a small incident, not by the gesture, which could have been implicated to mischief, but by the choice of the word ‘nigger’. This single word epitomizes the crux of the poem. Such discrimination still exists in many parts of the world till today and this poem can always serve as an awakening call for all humanity to realize their folly and inculcate true human values in the modern world, which is a conglomeration of people of all hues and colors.

Works Cited

Cullen, Countee. Incident