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Ode To Dirt By Sharon Old Summary

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The poem "Ode to Dirt" written by Sharon Olds conveys a remorseful attitude towards dirt as she admits her faults and neglectful actions. Olds begins her poem by apologizing to dirt for continuously overlooking and ignoring the significance of dirt for others. Throughout the poem Olds explains how she viewed dirt as unimportant and useless, then she shifts to a more cherishing and acknowledging tone as she realizes her mistakes. In "Ode to Dirt" Sharon Olds employs sorrowful and apologetic word choice and figurative language, including metaphors and personification, to illustrate the speaker's perspective on dirt from initial neglect to eventual appreciation. In a few lines of Olds poem she tells the readers about how sorry she is for insulting and neglectful behavior towards dirt. The …show more content…

The author claims that dirt should be appreciated and comes to an understanding about the importance of understanding someone or something rather than immediately ignoring their entire existence. Additionally, the author discusses how guilt-ridden she felt and allows the reader to understand how her attitude towards paying attention to the small things has changed. As the poem, there is a shift from apology to appreciation as the author begins to describe how dirt has "brought us forth, and fed us, and who at the end will take us in" (line 19-20). It recognizes how even though dirt hasn't been noticed, it still contributes to those who have done wrong by it. Olds has successfully taught the readers about being open to anything and anyone, she has experienced the significance of acknowledgment to those who are ignored. Olds closed out her poem by paying respect to dirt and explains to the reader about those who may be small and seem unimportant but do things for you that you might not even know

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In the poem, “ Ode to Dirt,” Sharon Olds uses figurative language and specific word choice to detail her acceptance and apparent repentance of dirt. The author's attitude towards dirt evolves throughout the poem, words such as “slighted” that entail apologetic feelings soon change to words of awe and amazement. This creates an interesting poem based around dirt, the speaker makes an irrelevant object into an interesting subject. To start the poem, the speaker sets the stage with an apologetic tone, referring to how insignificant they previously perceived dirt to be, “ It's as if I had loved only the stars and not the sky that gave them space.” She realizes dirt's importance in the grand scheme of things, and begins to realize its grand importance.

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In "Ode to Dirt," Sharon Olds explores the complexities of dirt through her use of figurative language and word choice to demonstrate how her attitude towards dirt has changed over time. As the poem progresses, she begins to realize the importance of dirt in the world. In the beginning of the ode, Olds apologizes to the dirt for having "slighted" it. She saw it as "only the background for leading characters."

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The use of metaphors like “background for the leading characters” helps Olds hook her readers on a topic that everyone has felt at some point in their life. She personifies dirt into a familiar face by saying we’re “made of the same basic materials”. The readers pity this now intimate entity of dirt and Olds can now manipulate their feelings and bridge the speakers emotions into theirs. Olds’ use of symbolic language and uncommon wording raises questions that keep the reader hooked and excited to read what’s next. Being vague and leaving wiggle room for wondering helps to put the reader in the speakers shoes and make their own decisions about what the text means.

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Throughout the poem Ode to Dirt, Sharon Olds uses word choice and figurative language to show her attitude change throughout the poem and convey the message of; dirt does have an important story and purpose even though people like her may think it doesn't. Olds word choice in the beginning of her poem displays apologies and regret about how she thought of dirt before. “Dear dirt, I am sorry I slighted you," is the first line in her poem. The diction of slighted shows sorrow to the dirt but hatred of herself knowing that what she thought of the dirt was untrue. Continuing through the poem her word choice in lines 7-9 “Subtle, various, sensitive, you are the skin of our terrain, you're our democracy.”

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