Lit Genius Annonations

“because there were those who feared alarming fists of snow
on the door and those who feared the riot-squad of statistics”

According to Wikipedia, Columbia records, who signed Bessie Smith, had never done a “race record” before 1923 therefore “the alarming fists of snow and the riot squad of statistics” relate to the controversy that Smith overcame because of race.

“Bare as the brow of Osiris”

Osiris is the Egyptian God of the afterlife and is often seen as having green skin.

 

“hyperaesthesia”

According to Wikipedia, this condition is when normally harmless stimuli becomes painful. An example would be hearing a sound or feeling a texture that causes pain. This could so reference the aggressive light.