Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
The speaker of the poem is an unnamed person who is observing the funeral proceedings of a boy in Harlem, New York. It is told from a third-person point of view.
Form and Meter
The poem is written in free verse.
Metaphors and Similes
The phrase "shined just like a tear" is a simile that compares the light outside the boy's funeral to a human tear.
Alliteration and Assonance
The phrase "To them folks that brought the flowers" is an example of alliteration because it has repetitive "t" sounds.
Irony
The wreath is provided for the boy's funeral despite the fact that those who provided it don't have much money themselves.
Genre
Narrative poetry.
Setting
In Harlem, New York
Tone
The tone of the poem is somber and reflective.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The Black community in Harlem is the protagonist of the poem; racism and systemic injustice is the antagonist of the poem.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the poem revolves around the death of the boy (and other Black people) and the conditions which caused the death of the boy.
Climax
There is no single climax in the poem; it is largely based on sparsely-connected observations.
Foreshadowing
The identities of the people who provided the wreaths for the boy's funeral is foreshadowed early on in the poem.
Understatement
The effect of systematic racism on the Black community is frequently understated throughout the poem.
Allusions
There are frequent allusions to the current-day and historical injustices the Black community experienced in America.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Hughes utilizes straightforward language and does not contain metonymy and synecdoche.
Personification
The light outside of the boy's funeral is described as having shined like a "tear."
Hyperbole
Not applicable.
Onomatopoeia
Not applicable.
