Richard Blanco’s, “Shaving” (1998), utilizes purposeful simile and anaphora in order to convey the vulnerability of life. Blanco’s distinct interpretation alters the perception of seemingly unimportant tasks (shaving), sharing its profound connection to the narrator’s lineage. Blanco’s similes highlight a progression in significance; his father’s life was grossly underappreciated. Blanco begins, “His legacy of whiskers that grow like black seeds sown over my cheek. , my own flesh” (lines 18-20).
In the poem, “Shaving”, by Richard Blanco, the usage of imagery and metaphors to convey how the narrator feels as though shaving is a way to make him feel himself again and that he does not recognise himself without it. The utilization of imagery within the poem highlights the feelings the speaker has when performing this ritual. In doing this step every morning, the narrator explains how it makes him feel reborn and new again, which is supported by the descriptive images. The best connection within the story is when the speaker compares shaving to “the drink roses take form the vase.”
By comparing the tresses to leaden clouds, Davis shows that not only has the hair grayed, but it has become stagnant and less joyful, less full of life. Time has taken much more than color out of the hair, just as it has caused more significant changes between October and November than simply less sunlight. In fact, the meaning of this poem transcends the rudimentary transition of weather in many
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Poetry The Poem “Shaving” by Richard Blanco shows how the event of shaving causes the speaker to think about the finer details of his life, and the short but now meaningful memories he has of his father, as well as the the impact that miniscule and unseen processes have on the world. The first stanza of the poem demonstrates to the reader the thought process of the narrator whilst he shaves. The first 5 lines set a precedent for the underlying narrative of a “silent labor” that blossoms into something substantial. This epiphany of a slow, continuous effort having a substantial outcome is supported by other examples of this phenomena stated in lines 4-9; examples of this being “ocean steam rising to form clouds”(line 4), or “the fall of fresh
The poem Dusting by Julia Alverez relays several ideas to the reader. It begins by describing a young child going about a house and writing their name on the furniture. The child 's mother follows behind her and, in the process of dusting, incidentally erases the writing. While this poem may seem superficial from a quick reading, it not only reflects some aspects of Alverez’s childhood, but it also reveals some thought provoking questions. In Dusting, through making an analogy to a relationship between a mother and her child, Julia Alvarez demonstrates her desire to break away from traditional or cultural expectations, express her individuality, be well-known, and, ultimately, she makes an important point about life.
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