Analysis Of Expect Nothing Poem

Live Life on a Whim “Expect Nothing” a poem by Pulitzer prize-winning poet Alice Walker states the obvious about being numb to expecting things each day in life. The poet wants her readers to enjoy life, but in order to do so a person must get rid of expectations and desires. In Expect Nothing, Alice Walker uses connotation, symbolism, metaphors and personification to convey how expecting nothing from life or the people inside an individual’s life will result in many surprises and never being disappointed nor let down. Expecting nothing in life is the best way to live. Alice Walker makes this clear throughout the entire poem. Lines one and two of the poem state that, “Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” Living life without a defined plan is expecting nothing. Alice wants her readers to take each day one at a time. Allowing each day to unfold with a surprise is essential. “Frugally” (line 1) has a meaning of saving; not wasteful. …show more content…
When Alice was only eight years old she was shot by a BB pellet gun in her right eye. A form of white scar tissue appeared in her damaged right eye. This accident made Alice walker extremely self-conscious with herself. Alice Walker tells John O’Brien in an interview that, "For a long time, I thought I was very ugly and disfigured," (biography.com). Alice felt pity for herself during the hard times of facing her injury. Eventually, Walker will have to overcome her fears and face the world head on with her scars. This accident had a major impact on Alice Walker’s life, just like it would on anyone’s life. The magic key around times like this is to just expect nothing. Being in an unhappy state of mind because of expectations and worries is not the way one should spend living. Once a person begins to grow older and become familiar with the world, he or she will realize to just live and have fun while