In Richard Blanco’s poem “Shaving”, the speaker uses the silent but progressive growth of his beard to reflect on the idea of life's silent yet impactful memories that define an individual, as well as the fragility of those memories and life itself. In Blanco’s poem, the speaker uses captivating similes and vivid imagery to express his association of shaving with the passage of time, specifically with the memories and passing of his father.

In the poem, Blanco uses a variety of similes to compare the creation of his beard to the fragility and quick, silent nature of life. Throughout the poem, Blanco describes his beard as a creation of silent labor “like ocean steam rising to form clouds”, and “like the drink roses take from the vase”. These