The Lovers of the Poor

Food is an important motif in “The Lovers of the Poor.” It indicates culture and social status. Brooks repeats “chitterling(s)” (Lines 36 and 78)—cooked animal intestines. During slavery in America, Black people would only be given the least desirable cuts of meat, and chitterlings—also called chitlins—became part of soul food cuisine. Another food item indicative of the low social status is the “potato” (Line 60). Potato recipes include poor man’s potatoes and peasant potatoes, to give a sense of the symbolic associations that potatoes have with being poor.

In contrast to this, the rich white women eat expensive foods. They are described as “full” (Line 14) and “Turtle soup” (Line 68)—a pricey delicacy—is listed as a dish they enjoy. Food-related adjectives abound in the list of their extravagant possessions. The speaker’s catalog includes the words “rubbed glaze” (Line 43) and “tasteful” (Line 45), which can be applied to food or furnishings just as the term “rich” can be applied to both. This speaks to the ladies’ lavish lifestyles.

The speaker of “The Lovers of the Poor” presents the symbol of oldness as both negative and positive. For the poor, oldness is negative, symbolizing desiccation and dirt. Their homes are made of old materials that are in poor repair, and are filled with “old smoke” (Line 35).