The Imagery in Frances Harper's "The Slave mother" is extremely vivid, and the reader is able to easily see this because in every short stanza Harper makes sure that there is an image of something relating to an nonbiological slave mother and her son. For example, Harper describes a mother trying to hide her son under her dress because he is trembling in terror clinging to her for safety. "Her boy clings to her side, And in her kirlte vainly tries, His trembling form to hide". Harper uses this stanza to describe a scared child because everyone can relate to that kind of fear, and has felt it not only as a child but in their adult lives as well. As an abolitionist writer who is trying to persuade the audience, she makes a smart choice to use this imagery because it allows the audience to grasp how fearful the child is, which obviously has something to do with him being a slave. Also, at the beginning of the poem there is a stanza in which Harper describes the slave mother in grief who is praying "Saw you those hands so sadly clasped-- The bowed and feeble head-- The shuddering of that fragile form-- That look of grief and dread?" Harper uses this imagery well and it allows the reader to feel the sadness of a poor mother praying for her child. This is good imagery as well because all mothers (black or white) are always concerned about their children and it is natural that a white mother who is reading this would be able to relate to a slave mother who feels sadness and love for their children. This hopefully was able to give a strong impact on white mothers during the time of publishing because it allowed white women to realize the pain and dread that so many slave mothers went through during slavery--even children that weren't biologically related! Also, Harper's explanation of this slaves love for her child also show all whites the aspect that slaves WERE human and were capable of having feelings of love and sorrow and all other emotions.