Secondhand Grief By Dudley Randall: An Analysis Of Figurative Language In Poetry

Nies 1
K. V. Nies
Mr. Bret Shambaugh
English 10 Honors
13 February 2023
An Analysis of Figurative Language in Poetry Poetry appeals to the senses and gives rise to emotion. A plethora of literary devices such as figurative language may be incorporated into poetry to communicate a message. The ability to manipulate the words on the page allows a poet to tell a story in abstract ways. “Secondhand Grief” by Sherman Alexie and “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall demonstrate two methods of writing poetry. While Alexie utilizes figurative language to convey an underlying meaning, Randall takes more of a literal approach to deliver his principal point. Sherman Alexies demonstrates the use of figurative language in his poem “Secondhand Grief.” In other words, Alexie expresses his ideas using

But you may go to church instead
And sing in the children’s choir. (Willhelm et al, 640)
Randall does not use figurative language; however, he still communicates with readers about the fears that racial injustice imposed on African-Americans. In the end, the mother finds her daughter’s slipper in the rubble of a church bombing. Randall’s lack of figurative language does not take away from the depth of the story. He uses “Ballad of Birmingham” to highlight atrocities faced by people of color while they worked to be treated justly. Regardless of whether or not figurative language aids in the formation of a poem, the story still elicits a response from readers. “Secondhand Grief” by Sherman Alexie employs a
Nies 3 significant amount of figurative language to enlighten readers on the inheritance of mental burdens from parents to children. Dudley Randall instead writes a literal story whose plot unfolds to reveal the trials and tribulations experienced by an oppressed group in “Ballad of Birmingham.” Although their literary makeups differ, both “Secondhand Grief” and “Ballad of Birmingham” reveal significant