How Does Robert Hayden Use Literary Techniques Used In The Whipping '

Writers often use literary techniques to relay the meaning of their works to their audience. In “The Whipping”, Robert Hayden uses structure, imagery, and sound devices to transmit the inhumanity of abuse, and how beatings lead to a cycle of abuse.

Structure plays an important role in the meaning of this poem. The cruelness of abuse is amplified through enjambment and emphasis on the last word of the sentence. When the lady beats the boy , no pronunciation is used, which allows the poem to flow rapidly with no pause. The lack of stops shows the reader that the beating is rapid, and there are a lot of strikes. Hayden uses this enjambment to warn the reader of the cruelty of physical abuse, with it being rapid and harsh. The use of “breaks”, “struggle”, “fear”, and “hateful” as end words in the lines also attacks the
For example, lines such as “pursues and corners him” , “boy till the stick breaks”, and “of knees, the writhing struggle”, are all shortened lines that have extra importance placed on them to exemplify the treacherous physical abuse the boy faces. On the other hand, the next couple short lines are “worse than blows that hateful...words” , “no longer knew or loved”, and “the bit sobs in his room”. Hayden uses the first couple of short lines to place emphasis on the physical hurt abuse causes , while using the next couple of lines to outline the emotional damage abuse inflicts on people. The horrible effects of abuse are amplified through these short lines standing out. The last, and shortest, line of this poem is “she had to bear “, which places importance on the reason the woman is physically and emotionally damaging this boy. Although Hayden proves