Summary
The poem begins with the speaker describing an interracial couple. They walk down the street with their arms locked. The speaker compares them to the beauty of day and night. Then the speaker depicts Black and white onlookers as they stare and remark indignantly about this couple. The couple passes by unconcerned. The speaker compares them to lightning.
Analysis
"Tableau" is a relatively short work that captures a snapshot of an open, unabashed romantic relationship between a white man and a Black man. It uses dramatic language from nature to highlight their strength and stability. It also shows the disdain and judgement of groups of observers to highlight how unfazed the couple is by outside appraisal. Taken as a whole, it is a moving portrait of a couple unshaken by prejudice. Given the time period in which this poem was written, it shows a relationship that would have been harshly rejected, both because it is interracial and homosexual. Their outright rejection of the hate directed at them is framed as an act of defiance and protest, a refusal to bend to unjust social norms.
The poem starts with a description of the couple walking down the street: "Locked arm in arm they cross the way, / The black boy and the white." These opening lines establish that they are an interracial, same-sex couple. It also uses the image of them being "locked arm in arm" to show that they are open and unafraid to display their loving relationship. The speaker clearly finds beauty in their pairing, as they make the following comparison in the next two lines: "The golden splendor of the day, / The sable pride of night." These images highlight the difference in the color of their skin, but demonstrate that neither of them is less beautiful for being different. The words "splendor" and "pride" also show that the speaker clearly believes their relationship radiates strength. At the same time, this comparison to nature characterizes their relationship as something harmonious and dazzling. This takes on a particularly powerful significance, considering the outside perception of their pairing as morally wrong. Their open display of affection is a direct rebuttal to any outside criticism.
In the next paragraph, the speaker shows the judgment of outsiders: "From lowered blinds the dark folk stare, / And here the fair folk talk." People take notice of the couple and disapprove. Interestingly, the speaker notes that both white and Black people judge the couple. It seems that both groups disapprove of this interracial mixing, as well as their homosexuality. In contrast to the language used to describe the couple, the words used for these people connote weakness. They hide behind blinds and engage in idle "talk," showcasing the pettiness of their disgust. The next two lines characterize their prejudiced outrage: "Indignant that these two should dare / In unison to walk." The word "indignant" underscores their harsh point of view, while the word "dare" characterizes the overdramatic tone of their disapproval. This absurdity is particularly drawn out by the fact that their hate is aimed at the couple's walking "in unison," as if this loving act is enough to justify their scorn. While the cruelty of their behavior shows the risks that these men face in displaying their relationship, their actual actions show the cowardice that lies beneath it. They are more than willing to show outward rancor, but too craven to engage any further. Cullen effectively portrays their response as essentially spineless, even when the motivations behind it are potentially dangerous.
In the final stanza, the couple is depicted as being unaffected by these outside perspectives: "Oblivious to look and word / They pass, and see no wonder." They are too happy and proud to take note of either "look" or "word" from these people. The final two lines return to the motif of nature: "That lightning brilliant as a sword / Should blaze the path of thunder." This comparison to lightning shows that they are literally cutting through the "thunder" of unkind gossip and stares. Their relationship is too strong to be brought down by the stares and comments of unwelcome observers. Lightning is the visible phenomenon, while thunder is simply the sound that follows it. They "see no wonder" in their indignation, suggesting that they feel above the petty judgment of these observers. The image of "brilliant" lightning substantiates the idea that their relationship is meaningful while the "thunder" of the onlookers is just background noise. Again, this refusal is especially potent given the social context of the poem. The fact that this couple is not only interracial, but also same-sex, means that they would be subject to constant social scorn, likely worse than what is depicted here. However, in choosing to entirely reject the close-mindedness of the onlookers, they demonstrate love's potential to disturb and unsettle hate. By ignoring the prejudice of the observers, the couple throws their collective anxieties back on them. Their refusal to accept the disapproval of the community delegitimizes it.
The poem is written in three quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme. It follows a ballad meter, alternating lines of iambic trimeter and tetrameter. The paired quality of these formal features allows the poem to highlight its different binaries: black and white, day and night, thunder and lightning, love and hate. Additionally, the song-like element of the meter adds to the poem's triumphant and celebratory tone. This works well as the poem focuses on a moment of love winning out over hate, as the couple ignores the onlookers. It amplifies these binaries to show that the most seemingly consequential one, race, does not have to prevent equality and romantic love. The poem as a whole is a representation of how powerful love can be when it rejects the idea of unbridgeable difference and pushes back on the power structures that seek to impede it.
