The juxtaposition employed in James Wright’s “A Blessing” creates an ominous mood and reveals a more somber undertone.
Superficially, “A Blessing” appears to be a simple poem about ponies, however, Wright’s use of contrasting diction creates a dark mood that alters the meaning of the poem as a whole. When the speaker and his friend first approach the horses, their eyes “[d]arken with kindness” (Wright 4). By contrasting the light emotion of kindness with physical darkness, the author generates a foreboding disconnect that creates an overall darker mood. Moreover, another disconnect is created by the emotions the ponies are expressing. At first they “ripple tensely” because they “can hardly contain their happiness” (9), but then the horses
Superficially, “A Blessing” appears to be a simple poem about ponies, however, Wright’s use of contrasting diction creates a dark mood that alters the meaning of the poem as a whole. When the speaker and his friend first approach the horses, their eyes “[d]arken with kindness” (Wright 4). By contrasting the light emotion of kindness with physical darkness, the author generates a foreboding disconnect that creates an overall darker mood. Moreover, another disconnect is created by the emotions the ponies are expressing. At first they “ripple tensely” because they “can hardly contain their happiness” (9), but then the horses