Analysis of Patricia Smith's Poem The Undertaker (Essay Example)

There is a much-needed change with young boys whose lives are constantly ending due to gang violence. 20% of homicides are linked to organized crime or street gang violence. These numbers are record-breaking in large cities throughout North America. But why would the general public care about this tragedy? In Patricia Smith’s “Undertaker”, the poem states the frustration and anger that arises of whose job it is to clean up the aftermath of street crime. Smith effectively communicates the text's envious mood of the Undertaker's arrogance through the poetic devices of imagery and situational irony, showing the frustration and shamefulness of the job.This is a vital factor in helping the reader to feel the constant paranoia of the speaker. 

Patricia Smith's poem "Undertaker," effectively uses the power of imagery. It is used to create mood in this text, through the undertaker's frustration, anger, and disgust at his mother. The arrogance of the speaker also contributes to a visual description of what he desires to show the mother: 

“Suddenly, I wanna take her down  

To the chilly room, open the bag  

And shake its terrible bounty onto the  

gleaming steel table. I want her to see him” (Smith 67-71).

This states a tense moment in the poem that is used to convey the speaker's anger.

Evidently, the reader feels as if the speaker is ashamed of fixing the humans' remains to help forget that anything violent has ever taken place.  Consider, the imagery of shaking “it's terrible bounty onto the gleaming steel table” shows that the speaker has no respect for the mother. This conceitmant is shown throughout the text producing an arrogant mood through varied imagery. 

Situational Irony is also used in "Undertaker" to build atmosphere in the text. The author explains to the audience how he consciously avoids thinking about the stories his mother has told him about their sons. They frequently say that it was not their sons' fault. 'It was self-defense,' he explained, 'and he was on his way home.' He was at the wrong place at the wrong moment," says the narrator. By analogy, the reader gets the impression that the 'Undertaker' thinks he's seen this scene too many times. The number of bodies he's had to revive has angered and disgusted him. The undertaker hints, in an ironic twist that the reader may not see coming, that he rather the mothers embrace the harsh, non-heroic reality of street violence. 

“Undertaker” takes us through the reality of street crime, Smith masterfully uses imagery and situational irony to convey the Undertakers’ arrogant mood. The “Undertaker” provides insight into 3 different perspectives: the speaker (undertaker), creating mood through his frustrations, mother: the sorrowfulness wanting a boy with no blemish, and us: taking in both sides of the story but concluding that the undertaker is arrogant mood through imagery and irony influence the reader to feel for the undertaker.