Figurative Language In Quinceanera

The term, “Coming of Age” has a variety of connotations ranging from a realization of one’s personal duty in life to a more harrowing observation about the harsh reality one has been hidden from while in the depths of his/her youth. While perhaps there are as many different conclusions reached about growing up as there are pieces of literature revolving around the subject, two works in particular offer transitional tales that depict vastly different narratives. Judith Ortiz Cofer in her poem, Quinceanera, presents a dark and literal use of language to portray a raw and reluctant journey to womanhood, while in “My Back Pages” Bob Dylan more frequently utilizes figurative language to relay a sense that the anger and resentment of his youth was
The narrator of Quinceanera, supposedly a latinx adolescent, seems to be adverse to the idea of growing older, recognizing that with maturity comes shame. Ortiz Colfer uses phrases comprised of words enriched with gloomy connotations like “put away like the dead” and “nailed to the back” to convey a sense of agony and fear. Conversely, the tone of “My Back Pages”, of which the narrator can be assumed to be Dylan himself, seems to be one of alleviation. The five times repeated phrase “Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now” attributes a sense of casual relief to aging. These disparities in tone can be attributed to any number of circumstances. It is possible that a difference in gender brought about the different approach to maturity, as Ortiz Cofer does specifically refer to her struggles with physical womanhood as part of the burden that makes adulthood seem so daunting. Or perhaps the disparity exists because of the different political backdrop to each narrator's youth as it can be assumed that Dylan grew up the mid 20th century when school segregation was in the midst of being stricken. Regardless, it is ostensible that the tone in the works approaches stark