Everyone has experienced watching a basketball game, although some don’t realize the hard work, dedication and passion put in on every play. In Edward Hirsch’s poem, “Fast Break”, he tells of the action and heart played in one fast break of the game. Hirsch uses figurative language such as similes and vivid words to depict the image of the fast break. Hirsch manipulates similes to show the love and dedication the players express in the fast break. In lines 5 and 6, he states, “gathering the orange leather/from the air like a cherished possession,” (ll. 5-6). This expresses how careful and how much the player wanted the ball. The player shows dedication, “like a coach’s drawing on the black board,” (l. 16) meaning that they executed the plan
