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A Litany By Gregory Dr Analysis

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In the poem “A Litany” by Gregory Orr, the most prominent formal element would be the use of anaphora, with the use of the phrase “I remember”. Although the poem has only one stanza, it is comprised of seventeen lines, and ten sentences. Within this single stanza, it has eight sentences that begin with the “I remember”, and the final two sentences breaking from the anaphora. The two final sentences, comprising the last four lines, are each distinct from each other, as no new anaphora is introduced. Not only is anaphora the most obvious feature, but it is essential for capturing and maintaining the reader’s attention, building momentum and anticipation without explicitly revealing the traumatic nature of the poem as a way to entice (or deter) the reader. …show more content…

For example, the first use of the anaphora is followed by describing a “dark stain already seeping across his parka hood.” (Orr, line 2) Throughout the rest of the poem, there is no added descriptors to or mention of the stain itself. Yet, in line 12, it is revealed to the reader not only what the dark stain was but who was wearing the parka, as the use of the anaphora adds more dimension to the poem by stating “I remember someone hung from a tree near the barn/ the deer we'd killed just before I shot my brother.” (Orr, line 12). It is this line that dramatically changes the mood of the poem, shifting it from curiosity to a feeling of distraught

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