What is the main idea of to be of use by Marge Piercy?

‘To be of use’ by Marge Piercy depicts one speaker’s preference to be around those who work hard and understand the importance of perseverance. The poem takes the reader through metaphorical comparisons between oxen, water buffalo, and seals. Each has their own skill and confidence in their individual environments.

What literary devices are used in Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy?

Piercy’s poem, “Barbie Doll,” through its diction, simile, irony, and tone, exhorts its readers to reevaluate the influences in their lives and the influence they are in the lives of others.

Who is the speaker in the poem to be of use?

Just like fiction has a narrator, poetry has a speaker–someone who is the voice of the poem. Often times, the speaker is the poet. Other times, the speaker can take on the voice of a persona–the voice of someone else including animals and inanimate objects.

When the food must come in or the fire be put out?

when the food must come in or the fire be put out. The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust. has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

What aspects of rural life does the shepherd use to entice his love?

The shepherd describes the setting in detail: “That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, / Woods, or steepy mountain yields.” He then makes a promise to her in the next stanza, saying “we will sit upon the rocks, / seeing the shepherds feed their flocks.” The lure of the natural setting—of singing birds, nearby …

What does the author mean by the work of the world is common as mud?

The Opportunity Collaboration draws its muscle from the conviction that people of good will forge their own solutions and uncover new ways to combine and leverage resources. Jonathan C. Lewis, Contributor.

What is the tone of the poem Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy?

The tone of Barbie Doll is that of struggle and death. The tone changes throughout the poem from her early life to the girl’s death. The girl in this poem struggles to become what everybody wants her to be, but in the end, she kills herself.

How do you analyze the speaker of a poem?

The reader or listener must do more than just hear the voice of the poem to identify the speaker. It is important to examine the other elements of the poem, such as the situation, structure, descriptive details, figurative language and rhythms to help determine the speaker’s identity.

What is an example of a speaker in poetry?

The speaker in “Annabel Lee,” by Edgar Allan Poe, is the lover of Annabel Lee. The speaker seems to be engaging, charming, and someone whom a girl would meet and fall in love with right away. He is someone who would tell stories. As readers move on reading the poem, they start realizing that there is something wrong.

What metaphors does Piercy use to represent the strength of people who throw themselves into their work?

The speaker compares people who work to both an ox pulling a “heavy cart” and to a water buffalo that will “strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward.” The poet uses these two animals because of their strength and size.

What does dallying in the shallows mean?

without dallying in the shallows (metaphor- easy work) and swim off with sure strokes (metaphor- worker/person to swimmer) almost out of sight. They seem to become natives of that element, the black sleek heads of seals.

What does to be of use by Marge Piercy mean?

Summary. ‘ To be of use ’ by Marge Piercy depicts one speaker ’s preference to be around those who work hard and understand the importance of perseverance. The poem takes the reader through metaphorical comparisons between oxen, water buffalo, and seals. Each has their own skill and confidence in their individual environments.

What are the characteristics of the Secretary chant by Marge Piercy?

The poem “The Secretary Chant,” by Marge Piercy, holds many characteristics that are meant to pull the reader in. As with any poem, the words mean more than they appear to. Each line is written with a purpose. Every word is there for a reason; otherwise, the poem would not be the same. “My hips are a desk.”

What are two themes that Piercy covers throughout the poem?

These two themes are covered throughout the poem as Piercy delves into society’s image of who a woman should be. The poet takes the reader from the “girlchild’s” birth and her first gift, a barbie doll, to her time at school and her death. The young woman is immediately met with standards that she cannot hope to meet, nor could anyone.

What type of poem is Barbie doll by Marge Piercy?

‘Barbie Doll ‘ by Marge Piercy is a four stanza narrative poem that is separated into four stanzas of varying length. They are relatively close in the line number and line length, allowing some cohesion to the piece without needing a cohesive rhyme scheme.