dear white america

“dear white america” is a prose poem, meaning it’s not written in verse like a traditional poem and thus doesn’t utilize line breaks. Instead, it relies on other qualities to cue to the reader that it is a poem, such as prominent rhythms and repetitions, both of which are present here. The speaker can be Smith, someone close to Smith, or someone who shares Smith’s experiences of racism and racial disparity. The title, and the prose format, help to disguise the poem as a letter. It is a direct address to white America that uses the second person “you” throughout to implicate the reader.

Conversely, the speaker represents the Black community. The lower case used throughout the poem is a stylistic technique that has gained popularity in contemporary poetry, particularly with the rise of the internet and self-publication. In “dear white America,” it also acts to undermine America’s significance and lessen a hierarchy throughout the poem. Certain things do get capitalized however, such as God, and the names of certain members of the Black community. Outside of the title, America is capitalized. The poem is driven by its listing quality, which is furthered by the