The Midnight Woman

The poem's titular character, and the speaker who narrates its story, is a "midnight woman." This euphemism, though not apparently in common use at any point, would seem to refer to the more common term "lady of the night," meaning a prostitute. The use of "midnight" as a characterizing term also summons the image of darkness, implying the speaker's social role as a Black woman.

The "midnight woman" serves as the speaker of the poem, which is narrated as a monologue – as though the poet were transcribing, word for word, what he hears her say. The entire poem is in her voice, in the Jamaican Patois that lends a sense of authenticity to her speech. Her personality is clearly depicted: she is a strong-willed, determined, and very confident woman. She has a temper, and is not afraid to stand up to authority. She seems to have...