"On the Subway" by Sharon Olds

The poem "On the Subway" by Sharon Olds plays off its title to convey a sense of uncertainty, dread, fear, and urban tension. The poem itself details the feelings experienced by the speaker as she sits on the subway, though the subway itself is not mentioned in the poem itself. The situation is set by the title, and this makes all that follows clear as far as its meaning is concerned. The poet creates a dramatic situation through the eyes of one participant, and while nothing really happens beyond two people observing one another, the poem says much about urban life, racial relations, and accompanying fears.

The first line delineates the situation clearly: "The young man and I face each other" (1). This remains the situation throughout the poem--neither leaves, neither moves, neither approaches the other. We know this is taking place on a subway because of the title, and so we can envision the scene, with the woman seated on one side of the car and the young black man on the other. Much of the nature of this situation comes from our knowledge of recent history, with the subway in New York being seen as a dangerous place where young black males are consid

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