The organization, diction and figurative language within the poem "A Great Scarf of Birds" by John Updike allows the readers to understand the theme of change is beautiful and prepares them for the narrator 's last statement. The organization highlights the importance of the event, diction further illustrates the tone and the figurative language intensifies the imagery within the piece shedding light on the importance of this time in the narrator 's life.
The structure of the narrative poem portrays the admirable yet perplexed tone of the piece. The narrator begins by telling the reader that he "saw something to remember" acknowledging the importance of the event. He then continues to describe the scenery as one bustling with change and "maples …show more content…
Within the first paragraph, the narrator uses a similie to describe the sight of "ripe apples caught like red fish within the net of their branches," (line 3) giving the readers a sense that this is a time of change: autumn. The narrator describes himself golfing with a friend when "trumpeting makes [them] look up" the sound grandly announcing a change; the arrival of a magnificent flock of geese. Using a periodical sentence the narrator describes how "[the flock] dartingly darkened in spots, paled, pulsed compressed, distended, yet held an identity firm"; this paradox also illuminates the authors bewilderment at the mysteriously vast group. (line 20) Previously describing it as dark in metaphor to death, he describes it as one living thing. While he has just lamented their fluidity he maintains that the flock are at once " as much one thing as a rock" (line 22). This usage of conflicting description displays the narrators confusion as he attempts to process the immense flock of birds. He continues with a biblical allusion to Lot 's wife as a way to describe his casually glance at the birds as irresponsible following up with a detailed description of the flock ascending into the air. He vividly compares them to a woman 's scarf being tossed onto a chair leaving a distinct image in the readers mind as the read the narrators last response. Through figurative language the narrator conveys to the reader that like ones spirit, the flock has an aesthetically pleasing grimness which prepares the reader for his concluding response by introducing them to the metaphorical meaning of the
The structure of the narrative poem portrays the admirable yet perplexed tone of the piece. The narrator begins by telling the reader that he "saw something to remember" acknowledging the importance of the event. He then continues to describe the scenery as one bustling with change and "maples …show more content…
Within the first paragraph, the narrator uses a similie to describe the sight of "ripe apples caught like red fish within the net of their branches," (line 3) giving the readers a sense that this is a time of change: autumn. The narrator describes himself golfing with a friend when "trumpeting makes [them] look up" the sound grandly announcing a change; the arrival of a magnificent flock of geese. Using a periodical sentence the narrator describes how "[the flock] dartingly darkened in spots, paled, pulsed compressed, distended, yet held an identity firm"; this paradox also illuminates the authors bewilderment at the mysteriously vast group. (line 20) Previously describing it as dark in metaphor to death, he describes it as one living thing. While he has just lamented their fluidity he maintains that the flock are at once " as much one thing as a rock" (line 22). This usage of conflicting description displays the narrators confusion as he attempts to process the immense flock of birds. He continues with a biblical allusion to Lot 's wife as a way to describe his casually glance at the birds as irresponsible following up with a detailed description of the flock ascending into the air. He vividly compares them to a woman 's scarf being tossed onto a chair leaving a distinct image in the readers mind as the read the narrators last response. Through figurative language the narrator conveys to the reader that like ones spirit, the flock has an aesthetically pleasing grimness which prepares the reader for his concluding response by introducing them to the metaphorical meaning of the