The United States Welcomes You

“The United States Welcomes You,” by Tracy K. Smith, was published in her 2018 collection of poetry, Wade in the Water. Smith began publishing collections of poetry in 2003. Wade in the Water is her fourth book, which won the 2019 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Poetry, and was published while she served as the United States's Poet Laureate. “The United States Welcomes You” is one of Smith’s most famous poems; it is posted on many websites.

“The United States Welcomes You” is a variation on the traditional sonnet form: 14 lines with roughly 10 syllables per line. It mixes some formal aspects of the sonnet with the structure of questioning used by officers of the law. Smith’s speaker takes on the persona of an interrogator addressing a non-white suspect. The questions--both asked and implied by the interrogator--highlight the negative aspects of fear, and the connection between white supremacy and law enforcement.

Poet Biography

In 1972, Tracy K. Smith was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Her father worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, and her third book—Life on Mars—is a tribute to his work. She grew up in Fairfield, California, but returned to the east coast for college. Smith received her BA from Harvard University, and her MFA from Columbia University. While a student, Smith became part of the Dark Room Collective--a reading series for writers of color. After completing her MFA, she served as a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University from 1997-99.

Starting in the 2000s, Smith taught at various universities, including City University of New York, the University of Pittsburgh, Columbia, Middlebury College. and Princeton. At the time of writing, she is a Professor at her alma mater: Harvard University. Smith served as the United States’s Poet Laureate from 2017-19. She also won fellowships from the Academy of American Poets and the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference.

Smith's four poetry books have won various awards, including the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, the James Laughlin Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Smith also wrote a memoir, Ordinary Light, which was shortlisted for the National Book Award. She hosted a podcast called The Slowdown and guest edited the Poem-a-Day program for the Academy of American Poets. Smith is married to Raphael Allison, and they have three children.

Poem Text

Smith, Tracy K. “The United States Welcomes You.” 2018. Poetry Foundation.

Summary

“The United States Welcomes You” is a 14-line poem written entirely in questions. The structure of the poem mimics a law-enforcement agent interrogating someone in the United States.

In the first line, the speaker (the interrogator) begins their interrogation of the suspect (the second person “you” of the poem). The speaker wants to know the reason for coming to the US and who facilitated the journey here. In the second line, the speaker wants to know what the suspect intends to steal.

The third line contains more questions. The agent wants to know why the suspect dances and enjoys being in a body that has dark skin.

In the fourth line of the interrogation, the speaker asks about taking up attention and making demands.

The fifth line specifies that the suspect’s demands are for empathy by Americans (the plural “we”). Then, the speaker returns to the idea of theft, asking again if the suspect has stolen something.

In the sixth line, the speaker asks about the reason for an elevated heartbeat, or what is making the suspect’s chest visibly move. The next question also begins on this line.

However, it is not until the seventh line that the speaker’s next question is clear. The speaker wants to know details about the suspect’s mission: what they are seeking.

In the eighth line, the speaker asks for a confession. The beginning of another question is included in this line: Does the suspect have anything to do?

In the ninth line, the question in the eighth line narrows. The speaker asks the suspect if they have anything to do with, or are associated with, another group of people who were harmed when they came to the United States.

In Line 10, the line of questioning turns to fear. The interrogator asks why the suspect is scared. The speaker also asks the purpose of the suspect’s invasion.

Line 11 continues the question about the reason for the suspect coming into the night in a posture of surrender. The suspect stands with their arms up, widens their eyes, and is silent.

In the twelfth line, the question that began in Line 10 is completed with a comparison between the posture of the suspect and the posture of a ghost. The speaker, once again, asks for a confession.

In the thirteenth line, the speaker wants to know if the interrogation is a kind of test. The speaker begins to ask another question about the stakes of failure.

The end of the question about failure is in the fourteenth and final line. The speaker’s last question is about the process for appealing the results of the aforementioned test.