Poem Analysis: The Possibilities Of Invention By Cathy Song

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The majority of “The Possibilities of Invention,” by Cathy Song is written in a very straightforward, first-person style. Events are described with a dash of personal bias, as expected for a first-person poem written in this style. This is seen in further depth in lines 9-15, where the speaker is telling us of the teenage hierarchy, and how damaging it can be when “petty dictators demand conformity even from the lowliest worm burrowed in books.” In this case, the lowliest worm is a metaphor representing individuals who are outside of a particular social group, and do not “conform” to the status quo. Throughout this poem, there are similar messages written between the lines, statements aimed at an unforgiving society. This poem begins immediately