Countee Cullen's Tableau

Countee Cullen’s poem ‘Tableau’, which was published in 1920 when racism was at its peak, it describes how whites and blacks were expected not to converse with each other. Cullen’s poem, though, challenges this as it details a close friendship between two young boys: one black and one white. The community in which they live, however, disapproves, as demonstrated when Cullen writes that “From lowered blinds the dark folk stare” while “fair folk talk,/ Indignant that these two should dare/ In unison to walk” (Cullen 5-8). This shows the universal disapproval from both black and whites, and the fact that the two boys continue their friendship demonstrates that they know that friendship has no colour. The message that Cullen is trying to convey is that friendship has no boundaries, and colour. By having the boys continue to walk together despite the criticisms reinforces and conveys Cullens message clearly. Cullens use of rhyme scheme, imagery, and metaphor facilitates his message.
Tableau is a three stanza poem that includes:

Cullen uses metaphors in the last stanza, “That lightning brilliant as a sword/ Should blaze the path of thunder” (Cullen 11-12). Lightning and thunder come together, one cannot exist without the other. In a sense, it is the same with the two boys. They are being compared to nature; They are thunder and lightning. They cannot be separated, by nature they must be together. Cullen conveys his message powerfully through this metaphor. Alliteration is also utilized, to enhance the poem. An example of this is, “The black boy” (Cullen 2), and “Fair Folk” (Cullen 6). This literary device is used to create this poem, and enhance its poetic style.
Countee Cullen conveys his message thoroughly through the literary devices and techniques throughout the poem, Tableau. Cullen must have endured many disapprovals due to the message he conveyed in Tableau. During the time period he had published this, was greatly looked down