Poetry Analysis
| The Importance of a Speaker | by | | Brianda Payan | |
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Tammy Mata
Composition II
Poetry Analysis
April 8, 2013
Word Count: 1264
Tammy Mata
Composition II
Poetry Analysis
April 8, 2013
Word Count: 1264
Brianda Payan
Prof. Tammy Mata
English 1302
8 April 2013
The Importance of the Speaker
There are many literary terms that constitute a poem, such as symbolism, rhyme, rhythm, tone and so on. The most important literary term that makes up a poem is the speaker. The speaker sets the tone of the poem and has the ability to maintain the attention of readers. The most important role of the speaker is to be “real”, in the sense that the reader feels that they are listening to someone say something as opposed to reading words off of a paper. The speaker also allows the poet to make his or her point in a clearer manner. “Suicide Note” by Janice Mirikitani is an example of the importance of a speaker in poetry. The speaker of this poem is an Asian student that has reached her breaking point because of the pressure that she has felt from her parents and she has committed suicide. The speaker of this poem is especially important and a great example of the importance of the speaker in poetry. The speaker of “Suicide Note” is a young woman that has been driven to commit suicide. The tone of the poem is automatically set by the title, but when reading the poem and listening to the hopelessness that the speaker expresses a much more somber tone is revealed. The young woman begins by saying, “I apologize for disappointing you.// I’ve worked very hard,// not good enough//harder, perhaps to please you.//” (Mirikitani). This is where the speaker really begins to start talking and this quote in particular shows how hopeless she feels and that she does not feel she worked hard enough for her parent’s approval. This highlights the somber and hopeless tone of the poem. In an article written by John B. Krayder, “Discovering the Inclusive Art of
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Tammy Mata
Composition II
Poetry Analysis
April 8, 2013
Word Count: 1264
Tammy Mata
Composition II
Poetry Analysis
April 8, 2013
Word Count: 1264
Brianda Payan
Prof. Tammy Mata
English 1302
8 April 2013
The Importance of the Speaker
There are many literary terms that constitute a poem, such as symbolism, rhyme, rhythm, tone and so on. The most important literary term that makes up a poem is the speaker. The speaker sets the tone of the poem and has the ability to maintain the attention of readers. The most important role of the speaker is to be “real”, in the sense that the reader feels that they are listening to someone say something as opposed to reading words off of a paper. The speaker also allows the poet to make his or her point in a clearer manner. “Suicide Note” by Janice Mirikitani is an example of the importance of a speaker in poetry. The speaker of this poem is an Asian student that has reached her breaking point because of the pressure that she has felt from her parents and she has committed suicide. The speaker of this poem is especially important and a great example of the importance of the speaker in poetry. The speaker of “Suicide Note” is a young woman that has been driven to commit suicide. The tone of the poem is automatically set by the title, but when reading the poem and listening to the hopelessness that the speaker expresses a much more somber tone is revealed. The young woman begins by saying, “I apologize for disappointing you.// I’ve worked very hard,// not good enough//harder, perhaps to please you.//” (Mirikitani). This is where the speaker really begins to start talking and this quote in particular shows how hopeless she feels and that she does not feel she worked hard enough for her parent’s approval. This highlights the somber and hopeless tone of the poem. In an article written by John B. Krayder, “Discovering the Inclusive Art of
Cited: Gibson, Walker. "Authors, Speakers, Readers, and Mock Readers." JSTOR. National Council of Teachers of English, Feb. 1950. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Kryder, John B. "Discovering the Inclusive Art of Poetry." JSTOR. National Council of Teachers of English, Sept. 2006. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. Mandel, Stephen R. "Suicide Note." Lit. By Laurie G. Kirszner. Belmont, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 367+. Print. Yamamoto, Traise. "Mothers, Daughters, and the Trope of Maternal Absence in Japanese American Women 's Fiction." Masking Selves, Making Subjects: Japanese American Women, Identity, and the Body. Berkeley: University of California, 1999. 141-43. Print