Key Elements to Poetry Analysis
Key Elements to Poetry Analysis
A poem can unlock the door to the many priceless memories that can only be relived in the mind. The mood of a poem can create a link between a person and a memory. The mood can take a person back to the people they miss and the great times they had. The poet Jose De La Cruz uses many poetic devices such as figurative language, imagery, and sound devices to help bring back the faces and sounds that remind us of those great moments we’ve had.
First of all the poem “The Man I See” uses imagery to enhance the mood and recapture the places and people that are lost in our minds. Sight images create detailed pictures in the mind. For example, lines 9 and 10 “the determination boiling out of my pores and covering my skin creating an aura of pride” can be pictured in detail. The determination boiling out of the pores and the aura of pride creates a positive mood. The determination and pride is a characteristic value in someone. Lines 13 and 14 “ …The iron heart of a man beating pumping fuel through the many tortuous tunnels of this body…” are other examples of sight images. This quote brings an image to the reader of an iron heart pumping fuel through veins. This is a value of a person with courage and strength. A certain smell or odor can remind us of someone special. Line 7 “I smell cologne as fresh as the morning breeze…” makes the reader think of an orange sunrise and cool morning weather. The cologne reminds the reader of a specific odor worn by someone they miss.
Secondly besides imagery, figurative language is also used to enhance the mood and remind us of people, places, or things we miss. A simile compares two objects using like or as. An example of this is line 7 “ I smell cologne as fresh as the morning breeze racing through my nose”. The cologne is being compared to a fresh morning. The mood that is created is relaxed and cool just like the morning. A metaphor also compares two objects except that it does not use like or as. Line 2 “ I see the light blue ocean colored eyes” compares the ocean with someone’s eyes. An ocean is blue, always active, and full of life....