comment on style / language

The language used in the collection is indicative of the African American experience. The first poem in the collection, "Plantation," includes the phrases "black buck" and "high yellow," which originate in 19th century America, when Black people were still enslaved. These are antiquated phrases that would be offensive if said by a non-Black person, and Lewis is able to show the lasting effect of this anti-Black language over the course of "Plantation." The speaker in the poem is burdened by the weight of America's historic abuse of Black people, and these phrases form a large piece of that. Antiquated language that is considered anti-Black today appears throughout "Voyage of the Sable Venus" as well, such as "octaroon," "Negro," and "colored." The use of these phrases in the poem shows how Black people used to be described and discussed in Western art. By using these words in her poetry, Lewis reclaims them. She separates the woman from the image, and turns her into a being who exists only on Lewis's page.