“Incident” by Countee Cullen: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Incident” by Countee Cullen

“Incident” by Countee Cullen first appeared in 1926 in the collection Color and is a poignant sonnet that explores themes of racial prejudice and the enduring impact of childhood experiences. The poem’s stark simplicity and direct language effectively convey the devastating effects of a seemingly insignificant act of discrimination. Cullen uses vivid imagery to illustrate the young narrator’s confusion and hurt, ultimately highlighting the pervasive nature of racism and its ability to shape one’s identity and worldview.

Text: “Incident” by Countee Cullen

Annotations: “Incident” by Countee Cullen

Line	Annotation
Once riding in old Baltimore	The poem begins with a reference to the speaker’s location, “Baltimore,” which serves as the setting. “Old” suggests a past memory, potentially nostalgic.
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee	The speaker is full of happiness and excitement. “Heart-filled” and “head-filled” indicate both emotional and mental joy, portraying a carefree and innocent mood.
I saw a Baltimorean	The speaker notices a local person from Baltimore. The use of “Baltimorean” establishes a distance between the speaker and the person he sees, hinting at otherness.
Keep looking straight at me	The local person maintains direct eye contact, which could imply curiosity or confrontation. The speaker might be expecting a friendly interaction.
Now I was eight and very small	The speaker describes himself as a young child, indicating vulnerability and innocence. His size and age emphasize his naivety and powerlessness in the situation.
And he was no whit bigger	The person staring at the speaker is also a child of similar size and age. This detail reinforces the equality of the two, yet the interaction is hostile.
And so I smiled, but he poked out	The speaker attempts a friendly gesture, smiling. However, the other boy’s response is aggressive and unexpected, creating a stark contrast between actions.
His tongue, and called me, “Nigger.”	The boy’s racist slur is deeply offensive, shattering the speaker’s happiness. This moment becomes central to the poem’s theme of racial prejudice and trauma.
I saw the whole of Baltimore	The speaker suggests that this single incident came to define his entire experience in the city. “Whole of Baltimore” is hyperbolic, emphasizing the impact of racism.
From May until December	This indicates the time span of the speaker’s stay in Baltimore, yet despite the many months, one moment overshadows all other experiences.
Of all the things that happened there	The speaker implies that other things occurred during his time in Baltimore, but they have all faded from memory because of the singular, traumatic event.
That’s all that I remember.	The racist insult has left a lasting impression on the speaker, erasing all other memories of his time in the city. This line conveys the powerful impact of racism on a child’s psyche.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Incident” by Countee Cullen

Device	Definition	Example	Explanation
Alliteration	Repetition of the initial consonant sounds in nearby words.	“Heart-filled, head-filled with glee”	The repetition of the “h” sound emphasizes the youthful excitement of the speaker at the beginning of the poem.
Allusion	A reference to a person, event, or literary work.	“(For Eric Walrond)”	The dedication refers to Eric Walrond, a prominent writer, suggesting a thematic connection to racial experiences.
Anaphora	Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of clauses.	“I saw a Baltimorean / I saw the whole of Baltimore”	The repetition of “I saw” emphasizes the limited, yet poignant, experience the speaker had in Baltimore.
Assonance	Repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words.	“glee,” “me”	The “ee” sound creates a musical quality that contrasts with the harshness of the subsequent events.
Consonance	Repetition of consonant sounds, typically within or at the end of words.	“Heart-filled, head-filled”	The repetition of “t” and “d” sounds enhances the rhythm and ties the phrases together.
Enjambment	Continuation of a sentence or clause over a line break.	“I saw a Baltimorean / Keep looking straight at me.”	The sentence spills over to the next line, reflecting the continuous and unresolved tension of the moment.
Hyperbole	Exaggeration for emphasis or effect.	“The whole of Baltimore”	The speaker claims to have seen all of Baltimore, but it’s clear this is an exaggeration to emphasize how the racial incident overshadowed everything.
Imagery	Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.	“He poked out his tongue”	The visual image of the boy’s offensive gesture is vivid, helping the reader picture the hurtful event.
Irony	A contrast between expectations and reality.	“Heart-filled, head-filled with glee” vs. the racist insult	The speaker begins the poem filled with joy, only to have this mood shattered by a racist insult, highlighting the harsh reality of racism.
Juxtaposition	Placing two contrasting ideas close together.	“Heart-filled, head-filled with glee” / “He poked out his tongue”	The joy of the speaker is immediately contrasted with the cruelty of the racial insult, heightening the emotional impact of the poem.
Metaphor	A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as”.	“Heart-filled, head-filled with glee”	The speaker’s joy is metaphorically compared to something that physically fills his heart and head.
Metonymy	Substitution of a related word for what is actually meant.	“Baltimore”	“Baltimore” represents the people and experiences the speaker encountered there, specifically the racist incident.
Mood	The atmosphere or feeling evoked by the text.	The mood shifts from joy to shock and sadness.	The initial happiness is replaced with the pain of the racist insult, creating a mood of sorrow and reflection.
Onomatopoeia	A word that imitates the natural sound it represents.	“Poked”	The word “poked” mimics the abrupt and sharp motion of the boy’s gesture, adding to the physicality of the insult.
Personification	Giving human characteristics to non-human things.	“Heart-filled, head-filled with glee”	The speaker’s heart and head are described as being “filled,” giving them human-like qualities.
Repetition	Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.	“I saw… I saw”	The repetition emphasizes the limited but memorable nature of the speaker’s experience in Baltimore.
Rhyme	Correspondence of sounds between words, usually at the end of lines.	“December / remember”	The rhyme connects the end of the poem to the memory that lingers with the speaker, highlighting its lasting impact.
Simile	A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”.	“He was no whit bigger”	The speaker compares himself to the other boy, noting that their physical size is similar but their actions differ greatly.
Symbolism	The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.	“Baltimore”	Baltimore symbolizes the broader societal issue of racism, and the incident represents the lasting trauma of a racist encounter.
Tone	The author’s attitude toward the subject.	The tone shifts from joyful to disillusioned.	The speaker’s tone begins lighthearted and cheerful but changes to one of sadness and bitterness after the incident.

Themes: “Incident” by Countee Cullen

1. Racism and Prejudice: The central theme of the poem is the painful reality of racism, specifically the impact of racial slurs on an innocent child. The speaker, an eight-year-old boy, is subjected to a racist insult when a Baltimorean child calls him a “Nigger.” This single act of prejudice completely overshadows the speaker’s time in the city, showing how racism can leave lasting scars. The line, “That’s all that I remember,” suggests the profound emotional weight of this incident, where a joyful moment is tarnished by the harshness of racial discrimination.
2. Loss of Innocence: The poem captures the abrupt loss of childhood innocence. Initially, the speaker is “heart-filled, head-filled with glee,” highlighting his carefree and joyful nature. However, this innocence is shattered when another child, similar in age and size, utters a racial slur. The poem underscores how even children are exposed to the harsh realities of racism, a theme encapsulated in the speaker’s transition from joy to the lasting memory of pain and humiliation: “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I remember.”
3. The Power of Memory: The theme of memory plays a significant role in the poem. The speaker recalls his time in Baltimore, yet all he remembers from the months he spent there is the moment when he was racially insulted. This reflects how negative experiences, especially those tied to trauma and prejudice, can become etched into memory, erasing other events. The repetition of “I saw” emphasizes the way this one moment of racial aggression consumes the speaker’s memory of Baltimore, turning the city into a symbol of racism.
4. Childhood and Vulnerability: The poem highlights the vulnerability of children, not just physically but emotionally. The speaker describes himself as “eight and very small,” and though he smiles in a gesture of goodwill, he is met with hostility. The fact that this hurtful event involves two children emphasizes how racism can affect and be perpetuated by even the youngest members of society. The speaker’s small size and innocence juxtaposed with the cruelty he encounters demonstrate how vulnerable children are to the actions of others, particularly in the face of societal issues like racism.

Literary Theories and “Incident” by Countee Cullen

Literary Theory	Application to “Incident”	References from the Poem
Critical Race Theory	This theory examines the role of race and racism in literature and how they shape experiences and social relations. In “Incident”, the poem centers on how a racial insult defines the speaker’s entire memory of his time in Baltimore. The child’s joy is destroyed by an act of racism, showing how racial identity influences perception and experience.	“And so I smiled, but he poked out / His tongue, and called me, ‘Nigger.'” The racial slur becomes the defining moment in the speaker’s memory, erasing everything else.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Psychoanalytic theory, especially through Freudian concepts, focuses on memory, trauma, and the unconscious mind. The traumatic event of the racial insult creates a lasting memory that overshadows the speaker’s entire experience, suggesting deep psychological scars. The repression of other memories highlights the dominance of trauma in shaping the speaker’s psyche.	“Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I remember.” This shows how the trauma has eclipsed all other experiences, suggesting repression of happier memories.
Postcolonial Theory	Postcolonial theory explores themes of othering, identity, and the legacies of colonialism and racial hierarchies. In “Incident”, the speaker is othered based on his race, even though he is just a child. The racial divide and power dynamics are evident in the interaction between the two children, reflecting the internalization of racial hierarchies in society.	“I saw a Baltimorean / Keep looking straight at me.” The speaker is marked as different by the other child, leading to an act of racial hostility, a form of colonial “othering.”

Critical Questions about “Incident” by Countee Cullen

• How does the poem depict the impact of racism on childhood innocence?
• The poem vividly illustrates the destructive impact of racism on childhood innocence through the speaker’s emotional shift. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker is filled with joy, riding through Baltimore with a “heart-filled, head-filled with glee.” However, this carefree moment is shattered when a local child calls him a racial slur, “Nigger.” This encounter erases the speaker’s prior happiness and defines his entire memory of Baltimore, despite spending several months there. The line, “That’s all that I remember,” reflects how this one moment of racism overshadows all other experiences, marking the loss of the speaker’s innocence and the introduction to racial hostility at a young age.
• What role does memory play in the poem?
• Memory is a central theme in the poem, as the speaker reflects on a singular event that defined his entire experience in Baltimore. Although he spent time in the city from “May until December,” the only thing he remembers is the racist insult directed at him by another child. This shows the power of memory, particularly when tied to trauma, in shaping how events are recalled. The line, “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I remember,” suggests that negative experiences, especially ones rooted in prejudice, can dominate a person’s recollection, erasing more positive memories and leaving a lasting emotional scar.
• How does the poem explore the theme of racial othering?
• Incident explores racial othering through the interaction between the speaker and the Baltimorean child. Despite being similar in age and size—”Now I was eight and very small, / And he was no whit bigger”—the Baltimorean child marks the speaker as different by his race, as shown in his use of the racial slur. The act of staring at the speaker, as described in “Keep looking straight at me,” adds to this sense of othering, as the local child’s gaze isolates the speaker. The racial insult serves to emphasize this distinction, reducing the speaker to his race and alienating him from the broader community, even in a moment of what might have been innocent childhood interaction.
• How does the poem’s structure contribute to its emotional impact?
• The structure of “Incident”—composed of three quatrains with a simple, almost singsong rhyme scheme—contrasts with the weight of its subject matter, enhancing its emotional impact. The poem’s regular rhyme, seen in lines like “glee / me” and “December / remember,” lulls the reader into a false sense of security, mimicking the speaker’s initial joy and innocence. However, the abruptness of the racist insult disrupts this rhythm, much like how the speaker’s happiness is shattered. The poem’s brevity further intensifies the emotional weight, as the quick recounting of the incident mirrors the sudden and permanent effect that the slur had on the speaker’s memory and experience.

Literary Works Similar to “Incident” by Countee Cullen

1. “Harlem” by Langston Hughes: Both poems explore the impact of racism and unfulfilled dreams, with “Harlem” questioning the deferred dreams of African Americans and “Incident” focusing on a specific moment of racial trauma that scars the speaker’s memory.
2. “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar: Like “Incident,” this poem examines the emotional toll of racism, as Dunbar’s speaker reflects on the need to hide pain behind a mask, just as Cullen’s speaker hides his hurt after the racist insult.
3. “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes: Hughes’ poem, like “Incident,” deals with the complexities of racial identity, with the speaker confronting the divide between himself and a predominantly white society.
4. “The Lynching” by Claude McKay: Both “The Lynching” and “Incident” highlight the harsh realities of racial violence and hatred, though McKay’s poem focuses on physical violence and Cullen’s on the psychological harm caused by racism.
5. “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay: While “Incident” reflects on an individual encounter with racism, “If We Must Die” takes a broader stance against racial violence, yet both capture the resilience and struggle of African Americans against oppression.

Suggested Readings: “Incident” by Countee Cullen

1. Cullen, Countee. Collected Poems of Countee Cullen. Harper & Row, 1991.
2. Smethurst, James Edward. The African American Roots of Modernism: From Reconstruction to the Harlem Renaissance. University of North Carolina Press, 2011.
   https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9780807878088_smethurst
3. Smith, Robert A. “The Poetry of Countee Cullen.” Phylon (1940-1956), vol. 11, no. 3, 1950, pp. 216–21. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/272005. Accessed 21 Sept. 2024.
4. Molesworth, Charles. “Countee Cullen’s Reputation.” Transition, no. 107, 2012, pp. 67–77. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2979/transition.107.67. Accessed 21 Sept. 2024.
5. Stokes, Mason. “Strange Fruits.” Transition, no. 92, 2002, pp. 56–79. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3172461. Accessed 21 Sept. 2024.
6. Braddock, Jeremy. “The Poetics of Conjecture: Countee Cullen’s Subversive Exemplarity.” Callaloo, vol. 25, no. 4, 2002, pp. 1250–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3300283 Accessed 21 Sept. 2024.
7. Bremer, Sidney H. “Home in Harlem, New York: Lessons from the Harlem Renaissance Writers.” PMLA, vol. 105, no. 1, 1990, pp. 47–56. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/462342. Accessed 21 Sept. 2024.

Representative Quotations of “Incident” by Countee Cullen

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Once riding in old Baltimore”	The opening line sets the scene for the poem, referring to the speaker’s visit to Baltimore.	Historical Context: Refers to a segregated America, where race relations were deeply tense, especially in the South.
“Heart-filled, head-filled with glee”	The speaker’s initial mood is one of pure joy and innocence as he rides through the city.	Psychoanalytic Theory: The contrast between joy and the ensuing trauma highlights the sudden emotional shift.
“I saw a Baltimorean”	The speaker observes a local resident, setting up an encounter.	Postcolonial Theory: The idea of “othering” begins here, where the speaker is viewed as an outsider.
“Keep looking straight at me”	The Baltimorean’s direct gaze suggests that the speaker’s race is the focus of attention.	Critical Race Theory: The moment of racial recognition that precedes the hostile interaction between the children.
“Now I was eight and very small”	The speaker describes himself as a young, vulnerable child, heightening the emotional impact of the insult.	Childhood and Innocence: Highlights the loss of innocence through exposure to racial hatred at an early age.
“And he was no whit bigger”	Both boys are the same size, emphasizing that the racial divide exists despite their similarities.	Class and Equality: Despite their shared youth and size, the racial divide creates a sense of inequality.
“And so I smiled, but he poked out / His tongue”	The speaker’s friendly gesture is met with a rude, hostile response.	Cultural Conflict: Illustrates the gap between the speaker’s innocence and the entrenched racial attitudes.
“And called me, ‘Nigger.'”	The racial slur is the turning point of the poem, crystallizing the trauma of racism.	Critical Race Theory: Demonstrates the power of language in maintaining racial hierarchies and inflicting harm.
“I saw the whole of Baltimore / From May until December”	The speaker spent months in Baltimore, but the incident overshadows all other memories.	Psychoanalytic Theory: The incident of racism creates a traumatic memory that represses all other positive memories.
“That’s all that I remember.”	The closing line reveals that the single moment of racial violence defined the speaker’s entire experience.	Memory and Trauma: The lasting impact of trauma shows how one harmful event can dominate memory.