Silver spoon (Symbol)
The silver spoon functions as a symbol of privilege in the poem. The speaker begins the poem with a description of a child born into wealth. The speaker says they teethed on a silver spoon, and had a rattle of strung stars. The silver spoon connotes that this child is wealthy in that it is a traditional sign of luxury and wealth. This is important to the poem as the speaker explores the parallels between the harshness of his childhood and the comfort and happiness others were able to enjoy as a byproduct of their racial background and financial circumstances.
Sackcloth gown
In the poem's second stanza, the speaker describes the "sackcloth gown" in which he was swaddled. This image highlights his family's difficult circumstances, as it is made of material much too rough for the skin of a newborn to be wrapped in. This sackcloth gown symbolizes the speaker's lack of means and continual physical discomfort. It also shows the immediacy of his experience of these challenges, as he didn't even receive a soft blanket as a baby. The coarseness of the sackcloth also provides a striking contrast to the incredibly soft silk of the rich children's swaddles.
