The Poem 'This Is Just To Say'

The plum, in the poem, “This Is Just To Say” is a direct symbol of temptation. He is extremely aware of what the action he is completing entails. He knows that in some way he is sinning which can be directly compared to Adam and Eve. This display of sin allows for the poem to serve a greater community; representing the downfall of mankind. The author alludes to Adam and Eve throughout this poem, as they were told not to eat the forbidden fruit yet chose to do so anyways. The anonymous nature of the speaker aligns with the biblical fact that Adam and Eve have no identity outside of the sins because they have no history. The symbolism within the two stories coincide so that all can relate to such simple poem, whose basic structure aligns with the emotional capacity of humanity that began with Adam and Eve.

In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, the daughter realizes this relationship between her and her father is one which she should not indulge in, still, she craves his love and attention. As a child, parental affection is craved even if it is dispersed in such desolate amounts that it is fantasized and dramatized into unobtainable standards given the situation at hand. This kind of starvation for love is present in this poem.

This physical foot movement is backed by a metaphorical one as well. When dealing with Temptation everything appears to be moving at an increased pace, however there is a moment of clarity where the participant realizes that what they are doing is wrong. The dance, nonetheless, continues on and begins a new cycle. The fact that the girl in this poem is so young also gives notion to the fact that this is a cycle which begins at a young age and has no intention of stopping. Furthermore, the continuation of a waltz is determined by the continuation of the music rather than the dancers which goes to show the active nature of the Waltz as a symbol for