White House Poem

It is a sad fact that discrimination and stereotypes are still deeply rooted in today’s times. In the resilient poems, “The White House” by Claude Mckay and “These are the Times We Live In” by Imtiaz Dharker, the poets recognize and express the need for change in society. Both poems express the resilience of the minority groups of the United States as they fight for equality and in general – what is right for the people. While “The White House” discusses discrimination and the fight against white supremacy, whereas the poem ‘These are the Times We Live in” also writes about discrimination, but also discusses the dreadful experiences of immigration. Though different in experiences and eras, both poets hold themselves confidently to make their

The poem discusses a man who fails to be included in what is known as the “American Dream. The White House itself is supposed to resemble freedom and opportunities. However, in this poem, with the title being “The White House,” the name denotes that the house is “white,” which suggests how the white house promotes white supremacy instead of the equality it is meant to stand for. Moreover, when Mckay ends the poem with, “Oh, I must keep my heart inviolate / Against the potent poison of your hate,” (line 13-14) heavily emphasizes the need for minorities to stay strong against the injustices and discrimination forced upon them. The use of the word “hate” as the last word of the poem further represents the resilience of this poem, as hate is known to be a strong word. Ending with the word “hate” is also a notable factor in the structure of this poem, as it reflects upon the tone and message of this poem. The structure of the poem is direct and strong which resembles the constant resistance made by minorities in America hoping to embrace the freedom and rights they deserve. In addition, the poem is a Shakespearian sonnet with no distinct divisions between stanzas and incorporates an alternating rhyme scheme. Mckay uses this rhyme scheme to his advantage by

The title itself, “the times we live in,” expresses a sense of familiarity, with Dharker’s understanding that many other people have felt the same way one time or another. Furthermore, the poem is not written in a specific format, as all the stanzas are written in different lengths. Thus, the free verse structure resembles freedom, which majorly contrasts the encounter with the immigrant officer described by the speaker in the poem. The commonality of the title suggests how insignificant the speaker is; the words “times we live” portray the lack of individual representation the speaker is facing. Additionally, when Dharker mentions, “he flicks to the photograph, / and looks at you suspiciously,” also communicates just how nerve-racking the process of dealing with immigration officials is, as it is fear that if you are a minority, that you will be judged with an unbelievable amount of suspicion just because of one’s race, suspected religion and/or their cultural heritage. Furthermore, in lines 12 and 13, “Keep an eye on that name / It contains a Z…” also stress that if your name is unusual or rare compared to the hundred John’s the office has dealt with today, then you only face more