1Your door is shut against my tightened face,
2And I am sharp as steel with discontent;
3But I possess the courage and the grace
4To bear my anger proudly and unbent.
5The pavement slabs burn loose beneath my feet,
6And passion rends my vitals as I pass,
7A chafing savage, down the decent street;
8Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.
9Oh, I must search for wisdom every hour,
10Deep in my wrathful bosom sore and raw,
11And find in it the superhuman power
12To hold me to the letter of your law!
13Oh, I must keep my heart inviolate
14Against the potent poison of your hate.
"The White House" is a searing indictment of anti-Black racism by the Jamaican-American poet Claude McKay, a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Written at a time when Black Americans lacked many basic civil rights, the poem's speaker bitterly laments being shut out of a gleaming "white house": a metaphor for the way white America systemically denies Black people access to equal freedoms and opportunities. Rather than lash out in anger, however, the speaker must find the "superhuman power" to swallow their burning rage over such injustice—lest they run afoul of the discriminatory laws set up to maintain white supremacy. A Shakespearean sonnet, "The White House" comprises 14 lines of iambic pentameter and follows a steady rhyme scheme. It was first published in a 1922 issue of the socialist magazine The Liberator.
The speaker says that the "white house" of the poem's title has shut its door right in the speaker's face, which is stiff with discomfort. The speaker's frustration makes them feel as sharp as steel. Still, the speaker is brave and dignified enough to carry their rage with pride and walk tall. The stones of the pavement feel like they're on fire beneath the speaker's feet and passion is tearing the speaker up inside as they walk, like an angry wild man, along the well-kept road where that closed glass door shines brightly. The speaker laments that they have to constantly dig for wisdom deep inside their angry, pained, wounded heart and summon the superhuman ability to abide by the rules of white society. The speaker has to keep their heart pure and free from the strong poison of this society's hatred.
Claude McKay's 1922 sonnet "The White House" explores the pain and frustration of living in a racist society. The speaker describes being shut out of a metaphorical "white house" in order to illustrate the way Black Americans are denied the same basic rights and opportunities as white people. Such blatant discrimination fills the speaker with righteous anger, yet they must strive to keep a lid on their "passion"; to express their discontent would be to risk running afoul of white society's "law[s]" (cruelly, the same laws that entrench systemic racism). When white people hold all the power, Black people like the speaker must suppress their justifiable rage simply to survive.
The speaker senses their complete exclusion from "The White House" of the poem's title, which symbolizes what McKay called the "vast modern edifice of American Industry": the powers and freedoms to which white Americans have access (as opposed to "the private homes of white people" or the president's residence specifically). The door of this house is "shut against [the speaker's] tightened face," making sure the speaker can't come in. The firm divide between the speaker and the white house represents the divide between Black and white America; Black people like the speaker can only press their faces against the gleaming windows of this house.
This door is also made of glass and "boldly shines," as if to say that it—and the white people inside—have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Indeed, the street looks "decent" (as in respectable), even as the pavement slabs seem to "burn loose beneath" the speaker's feet. On the surface, then, this is a civilized society—but its decency is a constructed illusion (and the "burn[ing]" pavement suggests, perhaps, that it's really a kind of hell).
This exclusion upsets the speaker deeply. Observing the "White House," the speaker is "sharp as steel with discontent." They feel "raw" anger and deep "passion" churning inside them. It would be understandable if they acted on such strong emotions (e.g., through violence). Yet the speaker seeks the "wisdom" and "power" of dignified restraint, if only for their own emotional health. The poem suggests, then, that Black people suffer a double injustice in American society: they must find not only the strength to survive but also the willpower to manage their outrage.
The speaker thus bears their anger "proudly and unbent," relying on all their stores of "courage" and "grace" to keep it in check. They ironically describe themselves as a "chafing savage," which is how they might be described from a racist white perspective. If the speaker did act on their "wrath[]," the "letter of your [white people's] law" would quickly make them suffer. (For example, white law enforcement might respond with brutality.)
Worse, the same hatred that targets the speaker would violate their "heart"; they would have swallowed the "potent poison of your hate" and stooped to their oppressors' level. The speaker, therefore, seeks "the superhuman power" to remain peaceful in their unjust society (in order, perhaps, to find other means of opposing it).
Your door is shut against my tightened face,
And I am sharp as steel with discontent;
But I possess the courage and the grace
To bear my anger proudly and unbent.
These opening four lines, the sonnet's first quatrain, introduce the dramatic tension at the heart of "The White House": the speaker has been denied entrance to a house, and this spurs righteous anger that the speaker must keep in check.
This situation isn't meant to be taken literally: the poem is using this metaphorical scene to explore the burdens, cruelties, and hypocrisy of American racism.
The speaker uses apostrophe throughout the poem, addressing this house (and thus white society) directly. First, the speaker notes, with clear frustration, that the house's door is "shut against my tightened face." The speaker clearly is not allowed into this house. That the speaker's face is "tightened," meanwhile, conveys the tension that the speaker feels at being "shut" out—metaphorically, at being denied the same opportunities, rights, and freedoms to which white people have access.
Through a simile, the speaker describes themselves as "sharp as steel with discontent." This image might bring to mind a sword or other weapon, and it creates the sense that the speaker is wound up tightly and ready to lash out at the world—to put up a fight against this discrimination.
Yet the speaker doesn't let their anger curdle into violence. The speaker bears their rage with "courage" and "grace," bravely remaining dignified in the face of clear injustice. Note, though, that the speaker doesn't aim to overcome this anger altogether. The speaker still feels angry. The speaker simply insists on maintaining control over that anger. The speaker bears that anger "proudly" and "unbent." The speaker stands tall and won't bend, or bow, to their emotions.
"The White House" is a Shakespearean sonnet, a form that connects the poem to European literary history. The speaker may be shut out from the "white house" of the poem's title, but McKay proves that he can write a historically white poetic form as well as anyone else.
As a Shakespearean sonnet, the first part of the poem is divided into four quatrains that each follow an alternating (ABAB) rhyme scheme. The rhymes here and throughout the poem are perfect ("face"/"grace" and "discontent"/"unbent").
The poem also uses the standard sonnet meter of iambic pentameter. Each line contains five poetic feet called iambs, which follow an unstressed-stressed syllable pattern:
Your door | is shut | against | my tight- | ened face,
And I | am sharp | as steel | with dis- | content;
But I | possess | the cour-| age and | the grace
To bear | my ang- | er proud- | ly and | unbent.
Altogether, the poem maintains a steady, measured rhythm that reflects the speaker's own self-control. The lines themselves unfold "proudly," their meter "unbent."
The pavement slabs burn loose beneath my feet,
And passion rends my vitals as I pass,
A chafing savage, down the decent street;
Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.
Unlock all 475 words of this analysis of Lines 5-8 of “The White House,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.
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Get LitCharts A+Oh, I must search for wisdom every hour,
Deep in my wrathful bosom sore and raw,
And find in it the superhuman power
To hold me to the letter of your law!
Oh, I must keep my heart inviolate
Against the potent poison of your hate.
The white house in this poem is a symbol of white society in general. In McKay's own words, it represents "the vast modern edifice of American Industry from which Negroes were effectively barred as a group." In other words, it's like a great big country club with lots of benefits but which doesn't let Black people be members.
Indeed, the door of the house is "shut" firmly "against" the speaker's "face." This makes it sound like the speaker is close to that door, right on the edge of a world to which they don't have access. The fact that they're firmly on one side of the door reflects the division between Black and white people in the U.S., especially in McKay's day. In 1922, when McKay published "The White House," Black people were denied basic civil rights and legally discriminated against throughout society. They lacked access to the opportunities and freedoms behind the door of that "white house."
The fact that the door to the house is "glass" is also telling. This detail suggests that the house is brittle or delicate; white supremacy can be shattered, perhaps, with a well-aimed stone. At the same time, the fact that the house "boldly shines" suggests that it has no shame. It proudly discriminates.
"The White House" uses alliteration (and broader consonance) to create sonic intensity. The vivid sounds of the poem reflect the speaker's passionate emotions.
Take lines 3-6, for example, which are packed with plosive /p/ and /b/ sounds:
But I possess the courage and the grace
To bear my anger proudly and unbent.
The pavement slabs burn loose beneath my feet,
And passion rends my vitals as I pass,
These are bold, loud sounds, and all this alliteration makes the speaker's language come across as forceful and self-assured. The sounds almost overwhelm the poem—much like the speaker's anger threatens to overwhelm the speaker themselves.
The alliteration in the next lines works in much the same way. The mixture of /s/, /sh/, and thudding /d/ sounds in lines 7-8 convey the speaker's spitting rage:
A chafing savage, down the decent street;
Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.
These lines feature some broader sibilance as well ("decent," "glass"), adding to their intensity. (Note that such sibilance appears throughout the poem, infusing it with an undercurrent of sinister, hissing anger.)
Later, the growling, back-of-the-throat alliteration of "wrathful" and "raw" evokes the speaker's pain as they dig deep into their own wounded heart for the strength to carry on. And in the poem's final line, the crisp alliteration of "potent poison" again suggests the speaker's distaste; they seem to be spitting the words out in disgust.
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Get LitCharts A+Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Dissatisfaction or unhappiness.
"The White House" is a Shakespearean sonnet. It contains 14 lines, which can be broken into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhyming couplet. The sonnet form is fitting for "The White House" for several reasons.
For one thing, sonnets are often reflective, argument-driven poems that contain a shift in thought or direction known as the poem's turn or volta.
Sonnets also have a strict set of formal rules and follow a regular meter and rhyme scheme. The sonnet rules mirror the "letter of the law" to which the speaker must hold themselves. The speaker also strives to "bear" their righteous anger "proudly and unbent." The sonnet form functions as a neat container in which to place the speaker's powerful emotions.
Finally, the sonnet is a famously European form, tracing its roots back to 13th-century Italy (and, of course, made famous in English by William Shakespeare). McKay subverts this traditionally white literary form by using it to describe Black experience.
"The White House" uses iambic pentameter, the traditional sonnet meter. This means each line consists of five metrical feet known as iambs, which follow an unstressed-stressed syllabic pattern (da-DUM). Most lines of "The White House" conform to this meter perfectly. Here it is in action in the opening quatrain:
Your door | is shut | against | my tight- | ened face,
And I | am sharp | as steel | with dis- | content;
But I | possess | the cour-| age and | the grace
To bear | my ang- | er proud- | ly and | unbent.
The steady, stately meter evokes the speaker's composure in the face of grave injustice.
There aren't many variations in the poem, but note how line 10 swaps a trochee for the first iamb:
Deep in | my wrath- | ful bos- | om sore | and raw,
This emphasizes just how "deep" the speaker must dig into their own heart in order to maintain their self-control.
"The White House" follows the standard rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet:
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
The rhymes are all full and clear. Along with the poem's very steady meter, this predictable pattern adds to the poem's measured, dignified tone. The poet has full control over the sounds of the poem, which mirrors the way that the speaker controls their own emotions in order to survive.
The speaker of "The White House" stands in for the millions of Black Americans systemically and legally denied equal rights, freedoms, and opportunities. Given the poem's subject and context, it's reasonable to assume that the speaker's views reflect those of McKay himself. The speaker is a Black person who resents having to swallow their justified anger at being discriminated against. They're aware that to unleash their rage would be to transgress the laws of the dominant white society (infuriatingly, the same laws that maintain racist discrimination). They also don't want to stoop to the level of their oppressors; they want to protect their "heart" from being infected with the "poison of your hate."
The poem takes place in the United States. The speaker describes being shut out from a white house and trying to suppress their rage while walking "down the decent street" on which the house sits. This setting isn't literal, however. Instead, the house is a metaphor for the dominant white society. Being shut out of that house represents the way Black people are denied equal access to the rights, freedoms, and opportunities that white people have.
The fact that this metaphorical house has shining glass doors suggests that it's proud of such discrimination; it doesn't have anything to hide. The word "decent," meanwhile, is ironic. The street seems good only because those in power have deemed it so. To the speaker, there's nothing "decent" about a neighborhood (or country) that judges people on the basis of their skin color.
"The White House" grew out of the creative context of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that Claude McKay himself helped start. The epicenter of the movement was the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, whose Black population swelled during the "Great Migration" of the early 20th century. Having launched his poetry career with two collections in 1912 (Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads), McKay emigrated to the U.S. that same year, moved to Harlem by the end of the decade, and wrote prolifically about his adopted country.
"The White House" is a perfect example of his interest in this subject, first appearing in the avant-garde magazine The Liberator in 1922. The poem's title proved controversial, with an editor changing it to "White Houses" for a 1925 issue of Survey magazine in order to avoid sounding like the name of the president's residence (a change McKay vehemently opposed, declaring that it "changed the whole symbolic intent and meaning of the poem").
"The White House" is a sonnet, a classic poetic form that dates back to 13th-century Italy and was popularized in English by William Shakespeare. While many other Harlem Renaissance poets like Langston Hughes departed from the formal and stylistic conventions of European poetry in order to set forth a tone that they felt was more authentic to the Black experience, McKay fused the traditions of European poetry with his own perspective on the world. This stylistic choice is clear in "The White House," which uses iambic pentameter and a strict rhyme scheme to describe the psychological effects of racial injustice.
The United States in which Claude McKay published "The White House" was a burgeoning, wealthy, powerful nation, quickly becoming a global superpower after aiding the Allied victory in World War I. It was also a place of extreme racial prejudice. Jim Crow laws mandating segregation were still in force throughout much of the U.S. and wouldn't be fully dismantled for decades to come (the effects of these deeply harmful laws still resonate in many areas of the country).
The Ku Klux Klan was also on the rise, and there were frequent lynchings of Black Americans (particularly in the South, where McKay lived as a student at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama). To add to this, Black workers were formally or functionally barred from many occupations. Even in the New York City of the Harlem Renaissance, Black residents suffered from discriminatory housing, employment, education, and policing practices, all of which fueled poverty and other social ills.
Simultaneously, a wave of anti-immigrant xenophobia, driven in part by wartime fears of "enemies at home," swept the US in the wake of World War I. During this era, the country barred most immigration from Asia, severely curtailed immigration from Europe, and gave rise to white supremacist ideas within its mainstream culture. One example of this was the author Lothrop Stoddard's bestseller, The Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy (1920)—a racist, paranoid screed that portrayed "white civilization" as endangered by other races.
In other words, 1920s America gave McKay, a Black immigrant writer, plenty of reasons to accuse the country of "hat[ing]" him.
The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
Biography of Claude McKay — Read a biography of Claude McKay at the Poetry Foundation.
"The White House" in The Liberator — See the poem as it originally appeared in The Liberator magazine and learn more about why McKay vehemently opposed changing the title.
Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance — Read a brief guide to McKay and other writers of the Harlem Renaissance at the Academy of American Poets.
McKay's Voice — Listen to Claude McKay read several of his other well-known poems.
The Harlem Renaissance on Video — Watch a brief video introduction to the Harlem Renaissance and the 1920s cultural context in which McKay wrote "The White House."