In poems, authors pay close attention to specific things, such as the number of lines, syllables, rhymes, rhyme, word placement, and figurative language. In Andrew Shield’s “Your Mileage May Vary” the structure of the poem creates a story about a family moving out of their beloved home. One of the most distinctive and unique forms of structure used in this poem is the implantation of song lyrics after every line. By adding relevant song lyrics to the end of each line, readers can draw connections between the meaning of the line and the lyric that matches. Besides drawing connections, song lyrics can affect the reader’s mood. The addition of song lyrics can intensely affect the reader’s mood and emotions, which overall leads to a deeper connection of the poem. …show more content…
The most noticeable part of the poem is that song lyrics are a part of the each line. The song chosen is not random and ties to the line. Shields says, “Our last night in the house was not our last. / With two cats in the yard” (1-2). The lyrics refer to the song “Our House” which is about people in a house that they love. The love for home is seen in the line of the poem as well as the song lyric. “Our real last night, footsteps on hardwood floors. People and friends / I can still recall” (7-8). The song “In my Life” by the Beatles is about familiar places and how some are forever and others are temporary. Line seven in the poem describes the familiar feeling of hardwood floors, and the song talks about familiar places left behind. The feeling of hardwood floors and the lyrics about familiar places further explains and emphasizes a feeling of familiarity and