In "The Race" by Sharon Olds, the author depicts the emotions of a daughter. Olds conveys the fast paced movement by applying imagery and metaphors. The author shifts from instinct to accepting the situation.

Olds depicts the struggles the daughter faces because she has no sense of direction when she says, "...a fish slipping upstream deftly against the flow of the river." By incorporating the metaphor, Olds conveys the struggles of trying to reach a destination. It is clear that as the daughter tries to move quicker, more obstacles are presented in her path.

The first part of the poem demonstrates the fast pace in which the daughter maneuvers, however the second part focuses on the reaction of her when she sees her father. Olds states, "We