Complainers By Rudy Francisco: Poem Analysis

In today's world, many people are very ungrateful for their current state they are in and complain without taking any action, only adding negativity to their lives. In the slam poem "Complainers" by Rudy Francisco, it demonstrates that one's constant focus on negativity and complaints towards life with no action results in failure to recognize the joys life has to offer. Throughout the slam poem, the author makes effective use of allusion, metaphor, and repetition to inspire and encourage readers to make positive changes in their lives and to strive towards self-improvement. Firstly, the author uses allusion to draw on the reader's pre-existing knowledge of the subject matter and establish the context of the discussion. "May 26th 2003 Aron Ralston was hiking, a boulder fell on his right hand.

Here the author states a time, date, and name of the person they are talking about, and it is used to compare Aron's immense suffering and pain to the complaints made by individuals experiencing only minor discomforts. Secondly, the author uses metaphor to connect the feeling of a genuine inconvenience with the minor inconveniences we often complain about. "Each pulse, each throb, each palpitation is a trophy engraved with the words/ "You are still alive"(40-41). This metaphor reminds us that even the simplest aspects of our daily lives, such as our heartbeats, should be celebrated as an achievement. Each heartbeat serves as a testament to the fact that we are alive. The author encourages us to enjoy every moment of our lives, no matter how seemingly insignificant it may be. Lastly, the use of repetition is to really engrave a saying or phrase that will come back to the reader's head throughout the poem. "You are still alive/ You are still alive"(40/42). Francisco urges the readers not to take their lives for granted and reminds us that there are people who are in much worse