Poem Analysis: The Case By Tim Seibles

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In Tim Seibles' poem, The Case, he reviews the problematic situations of how white people are naturally born with an unfair privilege. Throughout the poem, he goes into detail about how colored people become uncomfortable when they realize that their skin color is different. Not only does it affect them in an everyday aspect, but also in emotional ways as well. He starts off with stating how white people are beautiful and continues on with how people enjoy their presence. Then he transitions into how people of color actually feel when they encounter a white person. After, he ends with the accusation of the white people in today's world that are still racist and hateful towards people of color. Seibles begins this poem with the admiring white people and emphasizing that, "In fact, a lot of people like their time-for-the-news TV voices."(line 4). He uses this example to describe the fact that most people admire white people, not all. He then continues with white people having the luxury of not having to think …show more content…

A few examples are the words, you versus they, and white versus black. He says, "Sometimes though, if you're not white and a lot of other people are- but they don’t know it." (7-9). This implies the differences between the words you and they. It can be inferred that this poem is more geared toward an audience of color, since "they" are referred to as white people. In the stanza, "I know some brothers, they see a white face and their whole bodies sneer-."(21-22) Seibles is referring to "brothers" as people of color in comparison to "a white face". People of color see themselves as family (brothers) because they must stick together to get through the age of white supremacy. On the other hand, the cold tone of the word "a white face", makes it seem as if white people are strangers and they cannot connect with them in ways that they connect with one

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