Why Bother?
Why do poets use figurative language?
Goal:
Goal:
Most readers find that figurative language makes poetry more exciting. Consider these lines from Marianne Boruch's poem "A poem is a box".
glitter and gold toned bows,
swaddled in tan paper bags ironed flat,
and tied with strings
Suppose the poet had written the following lines instead:
because you don't know
what it's going to say
Which of the two stanzas would you prefer to read? Which one is more exciting?
Although both stanzas have a similar meaning, the first one gives readers more to think about. It compares a poem (something many people aren't familiar with) to a beautifully wrapped present (something people associate with excitement and surprises).
Question
How else do you think that a poem might be like a present? Think about your response and then look at ours.