# Sam — Poetry character guide

> Sam in Poetry by James Weldon Johnson.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Sam den, Wen Sam, Wen dat darky riz

**First appearance:** 0048-sence-you-went-away

## Who they are

A plantation character in dialect poems.

## Relationships

### [Lize](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/characters/lize)

_romantic_

Lize and Sam are lovers, with their relationship marked by emotional intensity.

## In the story

### [Brothers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters/brothers)

The victim, a black man accused of being a brute, who speaks of his origins in the legacy of slavery and violence.

### [Vashti](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters/vashti)

The speaker, who recalls being a serving lad in the dream, deeply devoted to Vashti.

### [An Explanation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters/an-explanation)

Likely speaker or subject of the explanation, involved in the exchange with Squire Lee.

### [The Rivals](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters/the-rivals)

The narrator's rival for Liza's affection; he dresses in fine clothes to impress her but is humiliated when his mule throws him into a ditch.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/characters/sam
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_13_se/characters