Literary Devices And Techniques In Richard Blanco's 'Shaving'

First, metaphor is a rhetorical figure of speech that compares two subjects without the use of “like” or “as.” A metaphor asserts a resemblance between two things that are otherwise unrelated. Indeed, a metaphor transfers meaning from one subject on to another so that the target subject can be understood in a new way. (http://www.literarydevices.com/metaphor/). In this poem, we could see metaphor is frequently used.

In Macbeth and The Mask You Live In, the characteristics of masculinity begins with the questioning or threatening of their manhood, which then leads to successive violence, and lastly, the desperate behavior that occurs when ashamed. In Macbeth, and The Mask You Live In, Shakespeare investigates the connection between a man’s questioning and

To start off the poem, Soto used imagery to set the scene and allow the reader to understand what the poem is all about;"They leap barefoot to the store, sweetness on their tongues"(5-6). This quote is a superb example of imagery because it gives detail in one sentence to let the reader imagine the scene. Using imagery, this quote demonstrates how poor the kids were in the area and the neediness of a plain store that they even have “sweetness on their tongues”(41-44). To convey his meaning, Soto used a metaphor to show how unsatisfied he is with his life. “A brown kid getting across: “he’s like me”, I tell my daughter and she stops her mouth.

In the last five lines of the poem, a metaphor is used to enhance the despair of the poem more deeply. He says " And I have seen dust from the walls of institutions, Finer than flour, alive, more dangerous than silica"

In the poem “Shaving” by Richard Blanco, the narrator relates how certain acts of shaving in the morning remind him of his late father. In the poem, the narrator seems to have a complex relationship with his father as he states that his father “...never taught me how to shave. (Line 16-17)”, this interpretation could mean that the narrator and his father did not have the finest relationship, but the narrator still remembers his father’s presence as he shaves in the morning like him. In the poem “Shaving” by Richard Blanco, the author uses literary devices such as simile and selection of detail to convey and compare the shaving ritual to the complex relationship between the narrator and his father.

It also shares a sense of hope that the city could be rebuilt by people. The clever use of metaphor is a very important and useful tool that the author uses to their advantage throughout the poem. For example, the author also leverages metaphor to describe the terrifying sound of an earthquake such as, “Full-throated syllables, up- / rising from deep down” (3-4). This use of metaphor draws the reader to the loud, thunderous noises that erupt from deep in the earth when earthquakes strike. Thus, the author makes clever use of metaphor in these instances for dramatic effect.

In Richard Blanco’s poem “Shaving,” the speaker connects the act of shaving with his father who has passed away. Blanco uses literary techniques to convey the feelings of the author and how he believes the growing of his beard, as well as the passing of his father is a way of life that cannot be avoided. Blanco begins his poem describing how his beard is a creation of life that is to be appreciated. He acknowledges the beauty of how his beard grows and how it is an “elaborate idea,” something humans cannot fully understand. Blanco compares his beard to “like [an] ocean stream rising to form clouds.”

The balance between her reminiscing the past or holding on to so much aggression that she is forced to let go. These balances of struggle hold true throughout the entire poem to highlight the subliminal metaphors equipped with items typically used to destroy rather than build, along with symbolism that alludes to fighting

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”.

" Poetic devices such as metaphor and irony are used throughout the song,

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

Like many things, life itself is a cycle: there are the ups and downs, the unexpected and mundane elements that fill each and every day. This idea is clearly represented in the poem “Shaving”, written by Richard Blanco in 1998, where the speaker uses various literary techniques to first symbolize the growth of his beard with awe-inspiring natural phenomena, then dedicate the act of shaving to mourn the untimely loss of his father, and finally compare the ritual of shaving to the cyclical nature of life, revealing the underlying theme that life could be beautiful at times, but also tragic, so it is important to savor the moments with your loved ones. In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker uses literary techniques to symbolize the growth

In “Oranges”, Gary Soto uses metaphorical language to make comparisons in this poem about the theme of love. Sofo uses metaphors towards the end of the poem when he compares the boys orange to a fire in his hands “I peeled my orange, That was bright [...] Someone might have thought I was making a fire in my hands”.

In the poem “Afterimages,” Audrey Lorde compares two seemingly different concepts in a metaphor in order to create a specific and significant feeling or idea. This expresses a distinctive identity when the cohesion of two different objects are used in a metaphor. Although most metaphors are commonplace and their meanings easily identified, such as “time is money” in which one “spends” or “earns” time, some metaphors require more thought and analysis in order to convey a specific meaning. In “Afterimages,” Lorde uses the equation EYES =

In the poem “I Have Walked a Long Time”, Sonia Sanchez uses a plethora of figurative language, a desolate and melancholic reflective tone, and syntax change in changing stanzas to showcase the effect of ancestorial suffering, the changing emotions that are swelling in the speaker, and the hidden feelings that the speaker speakers, ultimately showing how the changing generations are moving away from past suffering, bringing their own new fears to light. To start, Sanchez uses multiple figurative languages such as personification to describe the ancestorial suffering that is still relevant in the speaker's life. Personification is used in many way throughout the poem. We see the very first instance in line 2-3, where the speakers states that they have walked further than “death that splinters / wid her innuendos...” (Sanchez).