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What are the poetic devices used in the poem Rosa?

What are the poetic devices used in the poem Rosa?

1 Answer

    • Imagery: The use of vivid and descriptive language to create sensory experiences. For example, the poem uses visual and tactile imagery to portray Rosa Parks’ fatigue, the “heavy stride” of the bus driver, and the “burned flesh” of the town.

    • Metaphor: The comparison of two, unlike things without using “like” or “as.” In the poem, Rosa Parks is compared to a “great dark bird” with “spread wings,” symbolizing her strength and bravery.

    • Personification: Giving human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities. For instance, the “shadow” of Rosa Parks is personified as an “evening flare that suddenly snapped,” emphasizing her sudden and significant impact.

    • Allusion: References to well-known events or figures. In “Rosa,” the poem alludes to Rosa Parks’ historic act of refusing to give up her seat on the bus, which ignited the Montgomery bus boycott and became a symbol of the civil rights movement.

    • Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase without a pause beyond the end of a line or stanza. This technique creates a sense of flow and movement, allowing ideas to spill over from one line to the next, as seen in the poem’s fluid structure.

    • Repetition: The deliberate use of repeating words, phrases, or structures for emphasis or effect. The poem repeats the name “Rosa” throughout, emphasizing the significance and impact of her actions.

    • Symbolism: The use of objects, characters, or situations to represent abstract ideas or concepts. In “Rosa,” the bus symbolizes the segregation and discrimination faced by African Americans, while Rosa Parks represents the struggle for equality and civil rights.

    Rosa Summary

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