Theme for English B: Symbols

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

The College on the Hill

In the opening stanza, the speaker notes that he’s enrolled in an English class at a school he refers to only as “this college on the hill above Harlem” (line 9). Though the speaker doesn’t explicitly name the school, his reference most likely alludes to Columbia University, an Ivy League university situated in Upper Manhattan. Columbia is located in the wealthy Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Morningside Heights, which is adjacent to the less affluent and historically Black neighborhood of Harlem. The speaker’s description of Columbia as being situated “on the hill above Harlem” has symbolic significance. Indeed, his use of the preposition “above” has both a literal and figurative meaning. In a geographical sense, the school is perched atop a hill that looks out over Harlem. However, as an institution associated with whiteness, privilege, and prestige, Columbia could be construed as socioeconomically superior to Harlem. As a Black man who is enrolled at Columbia and who lives in Harlem, the speaker straddles both worlds. For him, to attend a prestigious institution like Columbia represents a chance for upward mobility. Yet as “the only colored student in [his] class” (line 10), the speaker also faces alienation and hardship.

The Harlem YMCA

In the second half of the first stanza, the speaker describes the route he takes from the “college on the hill above Harlem” (line 9) to his room down at “the Harlem Branch Y” (line 14). This is a reference to the Harlem YMCA. The acronym “YMCA” stands for the Young Men’s Christian Association. Founded in London in the mid-nineteenth century, the YMCA was initially formed out of a conviction that the pursuit of physical wellness would help ensure young Christians enjoyed a healthy body, mind, and spirit. By the twentieth century, the YMCA had become a global movement with branches in most major cities. Though YMCA branches operated with a broad emphasis on Christian values, they also served the needs of their specific communities. Whereas most YMCAs served white communities, the branch in Harlem was unique in having primarily Black patrons and other patrons of color. The Harlem YMCA housed many significant Black figures from the Harlem Renaissance as well as the Civil Rights Movement. The fact that the speaker lives there symbolically connects him to the YMCA’s storied past and to Harlem’s Black community, even as he pursues a prestigious education at a predominantly white university.

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