Exploring Poetic Devices in _Flamingo_ and _My Mother at Sixty-Six

Study Notes

Exploring Poetic Devices through Flamingo and My Mother at Sixty-Six

While both "Flamingo" by Charles Simić and "My Mother at Sixty-Six" by Audre Lorde diverge in their subject matter and styles, they converge in their creative employment of poetic techniques that enhance meaning, enrich imagery, and evoke emotion within readers. In delving into these works, we can examine several prominent poetic devices that contribute to their literary impact.

Metaphor

In his experimental piece "Flamingo," Serbian American poet Charles Simić compares the flamingo's pink color to human skin tones, inviting us to contemplate deeper layers of identity and selfhood. For example, he writes: "Their legs like crutches / And their feet make claws / But what are those touchingly pale colors? / At once so bright…." Here, the metaphor transforms something commonplace into something extraordinary—a flamingo's feathers become comparable to human flesh, prompting readers to question their assumptions and explore new perspectives.

Similarly, African American lesbian feminist writer Audre Lorde employs metaphors in her narrative poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six." Through vivid descriptions such as comparing her mother to the sun ("She was dying, I said to myself. Like the sun..."), Lorde conveys her mother's strength, resilience, and inner fire. By using this comparison, she also highlights the interconnectedness between nature and humanity, allowing readers to draw parallels and engage with more complex themes.

Imagery

Both poets rely heavily on sensory details that create powerful mental images for the reader. Within "Flamingo," Simić incorporates all five senses — sight (the bird's remarkable plumage), sound (its fiercely guarded eggs cracking under siege), smell (the scent of thawing earth in springtime), taste (bitter black coffee referencing life's bitterness), and touch (feeling cold metal surfaces, representing a sense of loneliness)—to paint a comprehensive picture for his audience.

Lorde's "My Mother at Sixty-Six" is replete with striking visual and auditory impressions. At one point she describes her mother's hands, which have "never been soft." This image becomes embedded in our memory because it contrasts sharply with other mothers who may possess delicate hands. Furthermore, Lorde uses assonance and consonance to highlight important sounds in her poem, such as when she repeats the labial sound "lip" multiple times to foreshadow revelations about her character's disposition.

Personification

Personification allows authors to invest nonhuman entities with human qualities; it's a tool that artists often employ to breathe life into their narratives. In "Flamingo," Simić personifies death itself when he refers to it as an unseen force enticing the flamingos to leave their winter habitat. He writes, "Death whistles from the north." Similarly, Lorde personalizes fate by referring to it as the "tightrope walker" throughout her poem. Lorde does so to underscore the precarious position her mother occupies, leaving readers questioning whether she will survive the adversity that faces her.

By exploring how two distinct pieces of literature utilize various poetic devices, you gain insight into the depth and complexity of poetry, its power to convey emotions and ideas, and its capacity to challenge traditional perceptions. As you continue your journey through the world of poetry, remember that each verse offers unique opportunities to discover fresh ways of thinking and understanding the human experience.

Description

Delve into the poetic techniques used in Charles Simić's Flamingo and Audre Lorde's My Mother at Sixty-Six to enhance meaning, imagery, and emotion. Explore metaphors, imagery, and personification that contribute to the literary impact of these works.