Storm Warnings Poem Tone

Perfect clear blue skies are not found every day. The pristineness and perfectness become engulfed by the realities of life. Storms rage throughout life, wind howls, and the pounding rain drowns out the once promising thoughts of a perfect time. These storms threaten one’s survival, but they aren’t referring to natural causes; they are referring to internal and emotional conflicts within. Adrienne Rich’s poem Storm Warnings uses lyrical diction, prolonged syntax, and a solemn tone to convey the correlations intertwining external and internal conflicts within a storm. In this poem the natural progression of Rich’s writing mimics the development of the storm. The flowing syntax suggests that the strike is unwavering and inevitable. Rich expresses the beginning of the disaster continuously through the first two stanzas. The long, exaggerated sentences flow throughout the stanzas exhibiting that the “weather” and antagonism cannot be changed. By connecting the stanzas the reader sees the storm warnings as the internal conflict begins. Emotions are unpredictable, distorted, and overall unstoppable. Together the emotional conflict becomes enveloped in the “silent core of waiting.” This …show more content…
The narrator knows that the storm can’t be blocked, so by using an earnest, yet sad attitude they prepare for the troubles ahead. Imagery combines with the setting to further exemplify the tone. As the “sky goes black” the tone grows cold and the storm becomes undeniable; all the author can do is draw the curtains and hope for a better tomorrow. Consequently, the tone depicts the atmosphere of the storm. There are numerous warning signs of the disturbance and the speaker knows that it is progressing forward. However, the knowledge does not corrupt the moments, instead the narrator remains calm and a solemn tone is