Monday, December 7, 2015

What repeated elements do you detect in "The Alarm Clock"?

The power of "The Alarm Clock," by Mari Evans, relies on
its analogy involving two kinds of awakening--a literal one by an alarm clock and a
figurative one by the words of a prejudiced young white girl. But repeated elements are
used to convey this meaning.  The poem begins and ends with reference to the literal
alarm clock that awakens one with a jolt. Repeated words such as "this mornin'" frame
the metaphorical awakening involving an incident at a drug store.  "Quick" is used twice
to refer to each awakening.  The hurtful girl's words cause the speaker to wake up
suddenly as does the loud ringing of the alarm clock.  The poem is written with a loose
conversational structure. The ellipsis are used 3 times to show a seeming break in
thought as if to mimic the speaker's stream of consciousness.  Even though rhyme is not
used, there are certain sounds repeating--the "in'" ending is used three times--twice in
"mornin" and once for "hangin" which also serve to connect the two
awakenings.

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