“Sound and Structure” is a broad poem written by Barbara Guest where she attempts to portray the idea that the leaders of our world are those who are capable of leading the masses and laying out the framework for our future. In order to achieve this, Guest utilizes epithets that better describe the characteristics of those who are being led by the sounds of their masters, she then employs symbols to aid in simply explaining her complex themes, and then Guest provides a metaphor in order to better describe the complex relationship between a composer and their audience.
Guest’s utilization of epithets greatly helps in presenting her central theme of control, as they better describe those who are being led by their masters. Her use of epithets
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This metaphor comes through the lines of “This is a power structure”, where Guest makes it apparently clear that not all are equal, as some lead while others will follow in their wake (2). The power structure being described here is that between a composer and an audience, which becomes clearer as Guest mentions how “The master cuts music for the future” (4). The purpose of introducing and creating this relationship is that it helps describe how the leaders of our world and their followers interact with one another, how they need each other in order to coexist. Just as a composer could never gain fame nor notoriety without their audience, a leader could never rise to power without the support of their followers. Just as a composer’s song dictates the mood of their audience, a true leader’s voice cultivates the thoughts and opinions held by their followers. And just as a composer can build a proper structure to their song with their sound, a leader can lay the framework for their world’s future with their own voice. The introduction of this power difference makes it apparent as to how the general public are led by those who stand as leaders, as the composers of our very own