9 Must-Read Poems about the Color Black

Poems dedicated to the color black offer a fascinating exploration of its symbolic and metaphorical significance. Through the medium of poetry, the enigmatic nature of black is unveiled, inviting readers to delve into its multi-layered meanings and connotations.

These poems often delve into the color’s associations with mystery, darkness, and the unknown, conjuring a sense of intrigue and contemplation. Black becomes a canvas for exploring themes of ambiguity, solitude, and the depths of human emotions.

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& even the black guy’s profile reads ‘sorry, no black guys’

by Danez Smith

‘& even the black guy’s profile reads ‘sorry, no black guys” by Danez Smith explores racial rejection, self-love, and empowerment.

The poem navigates the theme of the color black by exploring rejection based on race. The black guy's dating profile signifies biases against the color black. Metaphors like the tulip shedding petals vividly depict the emotional toll of racial biases. The poem challenges stereotypes, encouraging a positive reevaluation of the color black within the context of personal identity and societal expectations.

imagine a tulip, upon seeing a garden full of tulips, sheds its petals in disgust, prays some bee will bring its pollen to a rose bush. imagine shadows longing for a room with light in every direction. you look in the mirror & see a man you

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"> 62/100

Black Bells

by Diana Darby

In ‘Black Bells’, the speaker finds healing in the simple pleasures of nature, much like how small daily moments help us recover from grief.

This poem navigates the theme of the color black as a symbol of depth, mystery, and transformation. Black represents the unknown, evoking feelings of both fear and introspection. It explores black as a metaphor for endings, such as the closure of a day or life, while also highlighting its role in new beginnings, like a blank slate. The poem juxtaposes the elegance and gravity of black with its association with mourning and resilience. By using black, it conveys a balance between loss and strength, creating an evocative emotional landscape.

In Texas, in April,

when the blackberries—

plump and luscious and ready—

wait along the railroad tracks, I spend

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The Black Finger

by Angelina Weld Grimké

Angelina Weld Grimké’s ‘The Black Finger’ explores the beauty and symbolism of a black cypress tree pointing upwards.

This poem delves into the topic of the color black through its depiction of the black cypress tree. The use of the word "black" raises questions and invites interpretation, suggesting various symbolic implications such as darkness, mystery, and even racial identity. The poem prompts readers to reflect on the deeper meanings associated with the color black and its impact on perception, evoking contemplation about the complexities and connotations tied to this hue.

I have just seen a most beautiful thing,

Slim and still,

Against a gold, gold sky,

A straight black cypress,

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A Jet Ring Sent

by John Donne

‘A Jet Ring Sent’ by John Donne describes how the speaker’s beloved returned his jet-black promise ring and how he felt after that.

Thou art not so black as my heart,

Nor half so brittle as her heart, thou art ;

What would'st thou say ? shall both our properties by thee be spoke,

—Nothing more endless, nothing sooner broke?

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Daybreak in Alabama

by Langston Hughes

Music is a powerful tool to bring harmony even in the cacophonic world, filled with inequality, injustice, and racial discrimination. In ‘Daybreak in Alabama,’ Langston Hughes tries to create a harmonious world by creating music of equality and brotherhood.

When I get to be a colored composer

I'm gonna write me some music about

Daybreak in Alabama

And I'm gonna put the purtiest songs in it

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No Problem

by Benjamin Zephaniah

‘No Problem’ addresses racial discrimination, blending personal experience with a distinctive poetic voice.

I am not de problem

But I bare de brunt

Of silly playground taunts

An racist stunts,

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Sonnet 127

by William Shakespeare

‘Sonnet 127,’ also known as ‘In the old age black was not counted fair,’ explores changing opinions on beauty and the use of makeup in Shakespeare’s contemporary world.

In the old age black was not counted fair,

Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;

But now is black beauty's successive heir,

And beauty slandered with a bastard shame:

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Sonnet 132

by William Shakespeare

‘Sonnet 132,’ also known as ‘Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,’ describes the impact the Dark Lady’s eyes have on the speaker. She controls him and he has to accept that.

Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,

Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,

Have put on black and loving mourners be,

Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.

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The Weakness

by Toi Derricotte

‘The Weakness’ appears in Toi Derricotte’s third collection of poetry, Captivity (1989). This poem explores a light-skinned woman’s hesitation, weakness, and low self-esteem in a racially judgmental society.

That time my grandmother dragged me

through the perfume aisles at Saks, she held me up

by my arm, hissing, "Stand up,"

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9 Must-Read Poems about the Color Black

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9 Must-Read Poems about the Color Black

by Danez Smith

by Diana Darby

by Angelina Weld Grimké

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