Analyzing Olds 'Poem On The Subway'
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In the poem “On the Subway”, Olds contrasts a black to her own (white) life. This poem is filled with contrasts which, in the end the author realizes the differences between a white person and a black person. Olds uses literary techniques such as organization and imagery to convey the contrasts she makes stronger. Olds’s use of organization strengthens the contrast. She starts by talking about the boys’ shoes, and how they’re messy with “intentional scars.” This minor thought went over my head at first, but when reading deeper into the story with references to slavery, it connected to the beginning. Also, when the author describes herself in darkfur coat, we infer that she’s rich, but when she describes him as a “look of a mugger”, we infer