Johnson’s use of the words stony, bitter, rod, and died create a negative picture of the times:
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
The poet uses words associated with harshness and punishment to describe the difficulties faced along the way.
Johnson’s language changes when he talks about the dreams of the younger generation:
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
The poet uses light and uplifting imagery to highlight the progress and dreams of African Americans, comparing liberty to a harmonious song.