Jenny Joseph Warning

The poem, “Warning” written by Jenny Joseph is about the disparagement of responsibility as one reaches an old age.The speaker's state of mind is pursued by her use of diction, syntax and imagery, creating a very detailed point of view of her life as an elder and her sudden discardment of respectable behavior. Joseph wants it to be made known that although old age tends to be stereotyped as “boring,” it is finally a time when individuals can relax and focus on what they want to do rather than their children.

In the poem “Warning” written by Jenny Joseph the speaker of the poem is apparently a woman, since she speaks about the “Red Hat Society,” which is an organization of women who meet for tea wearing red hats and purple dresses. The poem itself is written from

The way she places these two colors in her lines show she does not care much for what others think, giving us a predestined idea of how the entire poem will go. Her imagery is very vivid and descriptive, which helps to show the author is very serious about this sort of, new life. Joseph explains, “I shall go out in my slippers in the rain, And pick flowers in other people's gardens,” along with

“And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry” The imagery presented in her poem is eccentric and detailed. The audience sees the poet is rebellious and ready to set herself free, although right now she may not be able to. In this poem we see how the stereotype of being “boring” at an old age can be dismissed and rejected. We have gone through our entire lives working and working to please those around us, until finally we reach an age where we can relax and set ourselves free. If old age becomes a time for rebellion and life, instead of teenage years imagine how hard individuals would work to get there. This “Warning” should not have to be a warning, but an expectation,