In Richard Blanco’s poem “Shaving,” the speaker connects the act of shaving with his father who has passed away. Blanco uses literary techniques to convey the feelings of the author and how he believes the growing of his beard, as well as the passing of his father is a way of life that cannot be avoided. Blanco begins his poem describing how his beard is a creation of life that is to be appreciated. He acknowledges the beauty of how his beard grows and how it is an “elaborate idea,” something humans cannot fully understand. Blanco compares his beard to “like [an] ocean stream rising to form clouds.” The imagery the author uses to express shows that he sees his beard as a natural way of life that people admire. The author tells the importance