Mabel Rhetorical Analysis
Commentary:
Mabel Osborne craved attention and love but received neither because she was shy. Mabel was compared to geranium flowers thirsting for water and now that a geranium flower was plated over her, she feels as if she will be forgotten and lonely forever.
Position in society:
Mabel’s place in society was a lonely lady.
Textual evidence: “And I, who had happiness to share
And longed to share your happiness”9-10
Tone: lonely
Figurative language:
Simile- “You knew and saw me perish before you, like this geranium which someone planted over me, and left to die”16-18- The purpose of this simile is to get the reader to understand the comparison between Mabel and the geranium throughout the story.
Personification- “Voiceless from chasteness
of soul to ask you for love”15-Mable’s soul was pure and modest and that shows the kind of personality she had.
Apostrophe- “your red blossoms amid green leaves are drooping beautiful geranium!”1-2- speaking to the geranium as if it could speak back to her.
Alliteration- “And I, who had happiness to share”9- using the “Ha” sound makes this line flow better.
1. The figurative language used reveals that Mabel was very shy and wanted attention and love at the same time. In the simile it shows how everyone knew she wanted attention, like a geranium would want water but no one would give her that. Also, the repetition of the word thirsting in line 14 adds emphasis on how badly she craved to not be alone.
2. The figurative language that had the most impact on the theme of the poem was the simile used in the last 3 lines because they give the deepest feeling of loneliness for Mabel Osborne, by comparing her to the dead geranium.
3. Mabel’s American dream was to find love in Spoon river, which she did not because of her “chasteness of soul”15 she was too shy to go out and find love for herself. She wasted her life being lonely and now will be forever.
Mabel Osborne craved attention and love but received neither because she was shy. Mabel was compared to geranium flowers thirsting for water and now that a geranium flower was plated over her, she feels as if she will be forgotten and lonely forever.
Position in society:
Mabel’s place in society was a lonely lady.
Textual evidence: “And I, who had happiness to share
And longed to share your happiness”9-10
Tone: lonely
Figurative language:
Simile- “You knew and saw me perish before you, like this geranium which someone planted over me, and left to die”16-18- The purpose of this simile is to get the reader to understand the comparison between Mabel and the geranium throughout the story.
Personification- “Voiceless from chasteness
of soul to ask you for love”15-Mable’s soul was pure and modest and that shows the kind of personality she had.
Apostrophe- “your red blossoms amid green leaves are drooping beautiful geranium!”1-2- speaking to the geranium as if it could speak back to her.
Alliteration- “And I, who had happiness to share”9- using the “Ha” sound makes this line flow better.
1. The figurative language used reveals that Mabel was very shy and wanted attention and love at the same time. In the simile it shows how everyone knew she wanted attention, like a geranium would want water but no one would give her that. Also, the repetition of the word thirsting in line 14 adds emphasis on how badly she craved to not be alone.
2. The figurative language that had the most impact on the theme of the poem was the simile used in the last 3 lines because they give the deepest feeling of loneliness for Mabel Osborne, by comparing her to the dead geranium.
3. Mabel’s American dream was to find love in Spoon river, which she did not because of her “chasteness of soul”15 she was too shy to go out and find love for herself. She wasted her life being lonely and now will be forever.