Incident Flashcards
by Countee Cullen — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: Incident
In what city does the poem "Incident" take place?
Baltimore, Maryland.
How old is the speaker when the incident occurs?
Eight years old.
What is the speaker's mood at the beginning of the poem?
Joyful and excited -- "heart-filled, head-filled with glee."
What does the speaker do when he sees the other child looking at him?
He smiles at the other child.
How does the other child respond to the speaker's smile?
He pokes out his tongue and calls the speaker a racial slur.
How long does the speaker spend in Baltimore?
From May until December -- about eight months.
What does the speaker remember about his time in Baltimore?
Only the racist incident -- nothing else from the entire visit.
What is the rhyme scheme of "Incident"?
ABCB -- alternating rhyme in ballad stanza form.
What poetic form does "Incident" use?
The ballad stanza, with its simple, nursery-rhyme-like rhythm.
What is ironic about the form of "Incident"?
The light, sing-song ballad form contrasts sharply with the devastating subject matter of racial hatred.
What literary device is created by the contrast between the speaker's calm tone and the violence of the event?
Understatement -- the restrained tone forces the reader to supply the emotional weight.
What is the main theme of "Incident"?
The lasting psychological impact of racism, especially on children.
How does "Incident" illustrate the theme of lost innocence?
The speaker begins full of joy and openness, but a single encounter with racial hatred overwrites every other experience.
What does the time span "May until December" represent thematically?
It shows that months of experiences were completely eclipsed by one traumatic encounter with racism.
In what collection was "Incident" first published?
Color (1925), Countee Cullen's debut poetry collection.
What literary movement is "Incident" associated with?
The Harlem Renaissance.
What does "no whit bigger" mean in the poem?
Not at all bigger -- the other child was the same size as the speaker, emphasizing they were equals in every way except race.
Why is the other child's age significant?
It shows that racism is learned behavior, already internalized by a child as young as eight.
What is the effect of the poem's brevity (only 12 lines)?
The short length mirrors how a single brief moment can define an entire experience, just as the slur defined the speaker's entire visit.
Who was Countee Cullen?
An American poet (1903-1946) and one of the leading voices of the Harlem Renaissance, known for using traditional verse forms.
How does the speaker's perspective shift from stanza to stanza?
From joyful anticipation (stanza 1) to shocked encounter (stanza 2) to lasting trauma that eclipses all else (stanza 3).
What does the poem suggest about the relationship between memory and trauma?
That traumatic experiences, especially racial ones, can overpower and erase all other memories from the same period.