Speaker(s)
Unlike most poems, “Declaration” does not really feature a speaker in the traditional sense. It does, however, feature an author and that is only partially a reference to the poet. In fact, the poem narrative being spoken that makes up the entirely of the poem features an author and an editor. As it happens, the author is one of the most famous names in American history: Thomas Jefferson.
Every single word in this poem is taken from Jefferson’s "Declaration of Independence." The poem does not constitute merely a replication of that historic document, of course, but merely certain phrases extracted from the much longer work which Jefferson composed as a summary of grievances levied against King George III of England and, obviously, an officially sanctioned announcement that the American colonies were declaring their independence from British rule.
The other “speaker” is the poet who carefully edited the Jefferson’s composition so that everything but what remains as the text of poem has been left out. Or, in the vernacular of the literary technique being used her, “erased.” What remains is an example of how the author of a text invents the meaning of it, but the editor of that same text can, through the process of judicious removal of words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs or entire pages reinvent, subvert, or even entirely transform that message.
“He”
The most significant, complex, and enigmatic character in the poem is situated in the very first word. The opening line is comprised of just two words, “He has” and it will be repeated once more in the third line of the poem. The ambiguous nature of the identity of this “He” is entirely the result of the poet’s subversive editing. The identity of this person in Jefferson’s original composition is King George III. That identity has never been in question or ambiguous in any way.
This work is an example of what has come to be known as “erasure poetry” and it is due to the loss of the contextual information which has been erased from the "Declaration of Independence" that serves—quite purposely—to make “He” a figure of mystery. Even the remaining context does not immediately assist in identification. The content will inform the reader that “He” has harassed certain citizens, and has destroyed lives, and has abused powers for the purposes of self-aggrandizement, and has engaged in oppression and denied the rights to redress wrongs he himself has inflicted.
The only thing one can be certain about on the subject of the identity of “He” is that he is every bit as bad as King George III. While huge chunks of Jefferson’s grievances against the British monarch have been edited out, the phrases that remain are in the exact same word order as originally composed. The most logical conclusion is that “He” is an ironic reference to the author of the text himself, Thomas Jefferson. Such a conclusion is a little too obvious and far too facile and convenient, however, as it overlooks the clear implication in imagery like sending “swarms of Officers to harass our people” that the grievances outlined here are still taking place on a daily basis.
