One of the first literary devices that Baldwin uses in “A Talk to Teachers” is paradox. One of the essay’s most famous lines comes from Paragraph 2: “The paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.” As a paradox is self-contradictory, Baldwin is acknowledging that education is a necessary thing, but what is also necessary is that people question the very elements and supposed truths that education provides. The contradiction is that a student must trust their education but also approach it with a healthy amount of distrust and skepticism.

Baldwin’s tone in “A Talk to Teachers” starts with a sense of urgency and resolve, and it remains that way throughout the essay. The essay starts with Baldwin clamoring for someone to pay attention, stating that we need to “begin by saying that we are living through a very dangerous time” (Paragraph 1). Such an insistent statement has a dual purpose: trying to get people to recognize the nation’s peril and inspiring action to address the peril. Baldwin maintains the sense of urgency by following up with mentions of Khrushchev, a frightening figure who loomed over the nation in a threatening way and whose name and rule is forever associated with the evil of atomic weapons.