Cross
My old man’s a white old man
And my old mother’s black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.If ever I cursed my black old mother
And wished she were in hell,
I’m sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well.My old man died in a fine big house.
My ma died in a shack.
I wonder where I’m gonna die,
Being neither white nor black?
Summary of Cross
- Popularity of “Cross”: First published in 1926 in The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes, an African American writer, poet, and activist, “Cross” is a contemplative poem. Since it was written following the artistic movement, Harlem Renaissance, the poem deals with the phenomenon of identity and cultural differences, Hughes has beautifully presented what a person feels if his parents belong to two different identities. The poem, however, has won global recognization as it presents the dilemma of complex racial experiences.
- “Cross” As a Representative of Identity Crisis: This poem addresses the worry of a biracial person in a prejudiced society. It begins when the speaker reflects on himself as a product of two different identities. Since he was born to a black mother and white father, he addresses his late father and says if he has said any wrong words about his father, he regrets it. Similarly, the second stanza addresses his black mother and the confession of the speaker. He says he feels sorry if he ever used any negative words against his mother. He regrets his negligence and thinks of his parents kindly. The final stanza describes how his parents died at two different places. Also, he speaks about his fears, like where he is going to die and this dilemma has forced him to speak about his mother and father.
- Major Themes Used in “Cross”: Identity crisis, worry, prejudice, and death are the major themes of the poem. The title of the poem presents the struggle a biracial person faces in a prejudicial and biased world. The speaker, being a product of mixed identities, admits he remained indifferent to his parents in the past. It seems that his biracial existence created troubles in his life that even today, he seems unfit in a society filled with biased attitudes. The poem not only describes the troubles of biracial people but also explains that they even die in confusion.
Analysis of the Literary Devices Used in Cross
Langston Hughes uses many literary devices in this poem to express his ideas, emotions, and feelings. The analysis of the devices used in the poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “If ever I cursed my white old man” and the sound of /e/ in “If ever I cursed my black old mother.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “If ever I cursed my black old mother” and the sound of /n/ in “My old man died in a fine big house.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“My old man’s a white old man
And my old mother’s black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Langston Hughes used imagery in this poem, such as; “If ever I cursed my black old mother”, “My old man died in a fine big house” and “My ma died in a shack..”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used identity crisis as an extended metaphor to show the miserable plight of biracial people.
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. Langston Hughes posed rhetorical questions at the end of the poem to emphasize his point, such as,
“I wonder where I’m gonna die,
Being neither white nor black?”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as worry, biracial identity, prejudice, and sorrow.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Cross
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. The poet has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “black/back”, “hell/well” and “shack/black.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABCB rhyme Scheme, and this pattern continues till the end.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising four verses.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows an ironic as well as ambivalent and confusing tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about families and the deaths of different members of a family having different backgrounds.
“My old man died in a fine big house.
My ma died in a shack.
I wonder where I’m gonna die,
Being neither white nor black?”