Nikki-Rosa (293) Devices

The only word that is capitalized throughout the entire poem is the word Black. This shows the pride she possesses regarding her heritage. She is not going to let anything bring her down, and she will not be embarrassed for the color of her skin or feel inferior because of the way God created her and her family. She is proud of the way she looks and the life she led, and if anyone has a problem with her being Black she will bravely defy them.
Also, the only punctuation found in the poem is the period found at the very end. It seems like this was just run-on thought, a continuation of pent-up frustration and annoyance at the common arrogance of society. "childhood remembrances are always a drag...all the while I was quite happy" (1 & 27) the first and last lines of the poem connect flawlessly together; I think this was done intentionally to show that everything is connected and comes full circle. That maybe at one point in Nikki-Rosa's life she was upset with being handed the short end of the stick, but through time she realized how lucky she was to have the life and love she experienced. No one will understand her and her family, but that does not matter because they do; all the difficulties she faced-the poverty, the alcoholism-none of it mattered because it molded her into the person she is, and through it all, " everybody is together and you and your sister have happy birthdays and very good christmasses" (22-23).