Remora, Remora

In “Remora, Remora,” Thomas Lux sets a regretful tone, using metaphor and imagery to explain the ever-existent and unfair social hierarchy of society. He uses the metaphor of sharks in the sea to describe how the smaller shark clings to the bigger shark, which can represent a boss, father, or any other main authority figure. He also uses a metaphor to show how the smaller shark learns and benefits from the bigger one, saying it’s “feeding off its crumbs.” He goes on to include many smaller and smaller sharks, each feeding off of each other. His imagery is key because he emphasizes that the shark next in line is only an “inch or two” smaller than its superior. He uses this to show that we give authority to people who are only just a little better than those they are leading, which may not be fair. Finally, he describes how the smallest in society get “sliced off” without a say or an opportunity in the world. He uses the title “Remora” because it means “sucker shark.”

Wheels

In “Wheels,” Jim Daniels sets a nostalgic tone, using symbolism, syntax and repetition to show that life is always moving forward, and maturing is about saying goodbye to the past and welcoming the future. Daniels mourns the loss of his brother and reflects on his brother’s life, but he can’t come to terms with the loss. As such, he uses objects like cars and cameras to represent emotions. The word “waving” is repeated fourteen times throughout the poem and is used as a way for time to move forward. As his brother enters new stages in his life, he waves goodbye to the last stage. Additionally, there is very little punctuation in the poem, for example “holding a wrench a rag a hose a shammy waving.” Usually there should be commas to separate the subjects, but Daniels, through his lack of punctuation, shows that life continues and waits for nobody.

Bad Day

In “Bad Day,” Kay Ryan sets a pensive and empathetic tone, using syntax and metaphor to show that even the most simple jobs come with opportunities for introspection and searches for meaning. Throughout the poem, the lines are the same length and there is very little dramatic changes in grammar. Ryan purposely does this to show the seemingly routine life of the tailor. Every day is the same, going to his job and fixing up clothing for customers. However, he uses the metaphor of the cloth to show that there is much more to this job, and the tailor sometimes has days of clarity and sometimes just can’t understand anything in his life. Although he’s doing the same job everyday, his thought processes are much different each day and his outlook on life is reflected by his job.

The Partial Explanation

In “The Partial Explanation,” Charles Simic brings a gloomy and downcast tone, using diction, syntax and imagery to show that a friend makes all the difference. Words like “grimy”, “darker,” and “longing” give a vivid impression of incompletion and discontent. Simic lets these words set the stage and create the feeling of the poem. Additionally, the poem is comprised of short sentences, giving it a choppy and uneven rhythm. There is no flow, and this complements the unsatisfactory and dark diction. Finally, Simic uses imagery to set the scene as a cold day when the “snow was falling outside.” Who likes a cold day? Nobody, that’s who. Simic combines these elements to create a complete poem, showing the reader that a cold day is better when somebody is by your side.

"The Poet"

In “The Poet,” Tom Wayman uses a humorous and ironic tone, utilizing catalog and parallel structure to capture the quirky personality and rare analytical skills of a poet. He creates a rhythmically-structured grocery list that is easy for the reader to understand. By saying the poet “Does not understand what he reads Does not understand what he hears,” Wayman invites the reader to look deeper into his meaning, because everybody knows that poets usually have exceptional reading comprehension abilities. In truth, he means that poets can’t do these simple tasks because they always have to investigate further and they can never take things at face value, so they never feel like they properly understand it fully. Because a poet is constantly gaining new interpretations of his readings, he “May recognize a word one day and not the next.” His sarcasm really emphasizes to the reader what it means to be a thoughtful person who constantly wants to know more.

"Neglect"

In “Neglect,” R.T. Smith conveys a remorseful and regretful tone as he uses metaphor and diction to teach an important lesson about appreciating those around us and maximizing the time we have with them. Smith didn’t appreciate his apple tree until it was gone, and he uses vivid, active words to describe what his unappreciation did to the tree, like “skew the sap’s passage, blacken leaves, dry the bark heart.” Perhaps Smith went through a tragedy in his own life and only later realized that he left this person “unloved, untended,” which prompted him to write this piece. At the end of the poem, he focuses on the word “red,” which evokes a feeling of death and sadness.

"The Cord"

In “The Cord,” Leanne O’Sullivan sets a regretful and appreciative tone as she uses description and metaphor to show that however distant we teenagers may seem, we are always within the grasp of our parents. She paints the classic teenager attitude: my parents just don’t “get” me. As such, she retreats to her room to enjoy the rush of speaking with her friends about meaningless topics like boys and hair dye. O’Sullivan uses the phone cord as a metaphor for her relationship with her mother, regretfully understanding that it was likely difficult for her mom to watch “the cord stretching its muscle away from her” as O’Sullivan became increasingly distant. She was ungrateful and didn’t understand or appreciate everything her mother did for her. O’Sullivan speaks to the classic cycle, as the teen strays from their family for newer, more adventurous buddies. However, like the phone cord, their relationship may stretch, but it will always bounce back.

"Do You Have Any Advice For Those Of Us Just Starting Out?"

In “‘Do You Have Any Advice For Those Of Us Just Starting Out?’”, Ron Koertge paints a tranquil and relaxed tone as he uses comparison and an analogy to show that great poetry isn’t forced and there is no specific formula; it comes naturally through joy and experience. He uses a technique of explaining one example but actually referring to a general rule for creative thinking. For example, he warns not to be in a room where “more than three people are wearing turtlenecks.” He does not mean this literally, but he’s saying that you need variety in order to think imaginatively and write effectively. Finally, he uses an analogy of a child making a tower of books. When the tower finally falls, the child laughs. In life, you just have to life while everyone else is upset. Don’t take things too seriously; this attitude will help you be happy and write good poetry.