Jane Kenyon The Suitor Summary

Traditional poetry is known for being strict in form and often rhyming, as it is apt to have a symmetrical, specific structure; but over time, there is the propensity to break from the orthodox ways for more freedom, thus creating contemporary poetry. This kind of poetry frequently consists of free verses, and is difficult to define because of its many possibilities. Although contemporary poetry does not employ any rhyme or poetic meter due to the use of free verse, contemporary poets implement poetic devices to develop compelling expressions that please their readers. Jane Kenyon, a contemporary poet, exploits various literary devices such as similes, imagery, repetition, and metaphors to communicate personal topics like the inevitability of mortality, life

Through the use of literary devices like similes and imagery, Jane Kenyon accentuates her life experiences such as living with her husband and her incessant depression. She is capable of creating the peculiar effect of making the reader see a picture of the original subject and the object of comparison. For instance, Kenyon uses similes to compare emotions to vivid, captivating objects in order to display the theme she is communicating throughout the poem. In The Suitor, Kenyon states that “Suddenly I understand that I am happy / For months this feeling / has been coming closer, stopping / for short visits, like a timid suitor” (Kenyon, The Suitor, 9-11). Through the simile, Kenyon conveys the idea that love can be shy to show itself, and will gradually appear and change one’s life for the better. The imagery allows the reader to visualize the scene in which the author is observing from. The simile applies to Kenyon’s own life, as her husband must have made her feel lucky; she realizes how happy she is to be with him. The timid suitor is a symbol for how happiness is fleeting and that it does not stay for long once it does come; through the use of the simile, Kenyon is able to express her ideas