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Figurative Language In What Lips My Lips Have Kissed

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Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why” encompasses a woman’s emotions regarding her lifetime of past lovers through figurative language as well as sonic and structural qualities indicative of the lack of fulfillment from which she quietly suffers. Millay begins her sonnet by revealing her dismay, saying “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten.” In this, she sets up her audience’s understanding of her experiences. In plain language she states that the love she has shared and experienced in her lifetime has lacked substance and fulfillment. Thus, the poem is read within a scope of sharing in Millay’s disappointment and sympathizing with her painful reflection. In the first …show more content…

Scaffolding, serving also as its title, is employed as an extended metaphor throughout the poem. Heaney likens the structure and function of scaffolding in the construction of a building’s walls to the development and progression of his own romantic relationship. With confidence, Heaney links the tangible object of a building and the scaffolding that supports it while in its liminal stage to the more abstract subject of his romantic relationship. Through this, he implies that the fortitude of a wall built under a meticulously formed scaffolding is congruent to the strength of a romantic relationship which has progressed over …show more content…

In comparing the two poems, a contrast is made between a life of complete and total romantic fulfillment and a life spent searching for love in vain. Heaney’s “Scaffolding” does so through the extended metaphor of a building’s scaffolding which is then connected directly to his own life experiences and relationship. In forging this connection, he employs a structured rhyme scheme that reinforces the rigid and unwavering confidence of the conclusions he has made about love. The uniform, block-like structure of the aabbccddee rhyme scheme conforms to the poem’s general theme of solidity and permanence. Similarly, Millay follows a rhyme scheme throughout her poem. The more scattered abbaabba cdedce rhyme scheme plays a role in the expression of a more restless, dissatisfied tone. This cyclical yet unconventional pattern highlights the contrasting theme of fluidity and

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Jimmy Santiago Baca is an ex-convict turned poem writer. During his stay in prison, he developed a love for poetry and literature. This poem, “Cloudy Days” was written to show his strength in the face of adversity and hardship, both in and out of the prison. That strength is something he’s needed all his life since his abandonment from his parents and grandmother, through the U.S. prison system, and after, in getting back on his feet. Through the use of metaphors and repetition, Jimmy Santiago Baca effectively conveys this.

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In the poem “The Century Quilt” by Marilyn Nelson Waniek, Waniek is able to craft a complex, contemporary poem using a variety of literary devices. Through enjambment, imagery, and chronological succession, Waniek describes the complexities of her quilt and reflects on it’s beauty and uniqueness. In lines 1-2 of “The Century Quilt” Waniek uses enjambment to start her poem with ambiguity and suspense. In addition, her use of enjambment slows the pace and forces the reader to digest each line as an individual thought, rather than a cohesive statement. In turn, the slowed pace and ambiguity of the opening couplet offers a preview to Wanieks unique style and syntax.

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“Grass” is written in a manner that could be construed as chaotic, with three stanzas each with a different number of lines. The first stanza is a tercet, the second a sestet, and the final stanza is a couplet. Furthermore, “Grass” does not follow a rhyme scheme and is therefore written in free verse. Conversely, “At the Un-National Monument…” follows a far more structured organizational system, with two cinquain stanzas, using ABCCB and ABACC rhyme schemes respectively. Despite their structural contrasts, the two poems share some mutual literary devices.

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Even the rhyming continues to emphasize his thoughts and actions. For example, his use of rhyme, like "Fire and Desire", show how his betrayal has fueled him up so much that he can't get the feeling of her out of his head. Her eyes are a misery to him, his attitude continues

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Parker introduces her poem by using imagery to announce the simple development in the setting. It begins by saying, “as the sun rose” (line 7) and continues until she writes, “We didn’t speak until the sun overcame” (line 10). It is an uncomplicated way to provide an additional thought of change. By mentioning the small difference in the setting, Parker wants the reader to understand the importance of the many different aspects, large and small, that are evolving.

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Each stanza also makes the readers question their opinions and their understanding of the poem and the street. While analyzing Kenneth’s poem we see his use of imagery , personification, metaphorical language and repetition. With the end of each stanza repeating the words “you find this ugly, I find this lovely” the use of repetition gives the audience the sense of how the poet is displaying his message with this literary technique. The repetition also gives insight in how he see’s something that everyone calls ugly as something beautiful. The readers are also always drawn back to processing their opinions with his use

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