In the beginning half of the poem, Harper uses specific and meaningful words in order to capture the reader’s attention. For instance in line 2, “wretchedness” and in line 3 “sons of despair” as a way to not only describe the pain and the emotional damage upon the African Americans being sold to slavery, but also causes the reader to have an emotional response. By placing the reader at an emotional
In the beginning half of the poem, Harper uses specific and meaningful words in order to capture the reader’s attention. For instance in line 2, “wretchedness” and in line 3 “sons of despair” as a way to not only describe the pain and the emotional damage upon the African Americans being sold to slavery, but also causes the reader to have an emotional response. By placing the reader at an emotional