Multiple Voices

Though all of the poems in Here in Harlem are written by Walter Dean Myers, they are each written in a different voice from the perspective of individuals in the community. By presenting the poems in this manner, the reader not only gains Myers's insight and reflections about his neighborhood, but also those of the diverse characters who voice each poem. Myers explores the streets, homes, jobs, memories, and lives of the young and old, male and female, that make-up Harlem's African American community. The individual voices in the poems reinforce the idea that a generalized description or label of a neighborhood cannot accurately capture the various and unique realities of the people living there.

Diction

Diction is the selection and arrangement of words. Myers uses a range of diction to portray the characters of Here in Harlem. Myers's poems all use first person or personal point...