Jim Daniels poem Short-Order Cook gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a short order cook. The use of figurative language in the form of alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition throughout the poem and the use of line breaks helps the readers mentally visualize the cook’s task of making thirty cheeseburgers and thirty fries. The use of figurative language and line breaks by the author engulf the reader in the cook’s task along with his feeling of achievement after completing the order.
The authors use of figurative language throughout the poem helps the reader paint the picture of this cook making the order of thirty cheeseburgers and thirty fries. In this poem, “pop pop spit spit…/ pss..” (3. 9-10) the use of onomatopoeias, repetition, as well as
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The onomatopoeias used makes the readers visualize the popping and spitting of the fries as the water escapes and reacts with the oil. While the repetition of “pop pop spit spit” (3. 9) paints a mental picture for the reader of the fries continuously popping and spitting inside of the fryer. The use of alliteration in these lines grab the readers attention and makes for a smooth flowing line. Furthermore, alliteration also puts a focus on the action of the fries. Throughout the poem ‘thirty cheeseburgers and thirty fries’ is repeated three times. It is first introduced in the beginning of the poem when the “...average joe comes in/ and orders thirty cheeseburgers and thirty fries.”(1. 1-2) which sets the pace of the rest of the high-intensity poem. It