Slam Dunk Poem Literary Devices

After seeing the title Slam, Dunk, & Hook I interpreted it as suspenseful remarks within the sport of basketball. Usually slam dunk has no comma to separate it. However, within this title, it is separated with a comma, which provided emphasis on what the poem was going to be about. In other words, the speaker along with his teammates conquer obstacles, regarding basketball, which gave them motivation to push themselves. Within the introduction of the poem, a connotation is made. According to lines 1-2, the speaker says, “Fast breaks. Lay ups. With Mercury’s Insignia on our sneakers..” (Komunyakaa). By using the terms fast breaks and lay ups, the speaker intends to convey the visual image of sneakers. Mercury’s Insignia is connotated for Nike shoes. By including this term, the speaker was able to transfer the motivation and hard work of the basketball players onto the reader. Another example of a connotation is bad angels. According to lines 3-4, the speaker says, …show more content…
For instance, there are examples of similes, metaphors, and aphorism to provide emphasis on the imagery that is being portrayed. According to lines 9-10, the speaker says, “Last forever, poised in midair like storybook sea monsters” (Komunyakaa). In this instance, the speaker uses a simile to compare their team as sea monsters, mythical creatures that seem elegant as they spring out of water. By comparing his team members to sea monsters, he is saying how they look graceful doing the sport, yet deadly when they are challenged. Another simile was when the speaker compared their basketball members to a sparrow hawk. According to lines 32-33, the speaker says, “Dribble, drive to the inside, & glide like a sparrow hawk” (Komunyakaa). The smile is intended to demonstrate the way these basketball players moved around the court. They may be small, but they can most certainly catch their