Juxtaposition And Symbolism In 'The Colonel' By Carolyn Forche

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The poem “The Colonel”, written by Carolyn Forche, uses juxtaposition and symbolism to emphasize the strength of the colonel and the weakness of the oppressed. Forche uses juxtaposition of words implying luxury versus words implying poverty to criticize society and strengthen the gap in wealth present in society. In addition, the larger amount of luxurious words, such as “wine, gold, television, pet dogs, etc” as opposed to impoverished words demonstrates society's attempts to cover up and conceal problems. Though the overall tone of the poem may be one of a darker mood, there are more words implying wealth than there are of indigent words. The use of symbolism, specifically regarding the ears, links the ears to the oppressed people of El