Question

In 300 words or less, compare and contrast the use of figurative language in Anne Sexton’s “Young” and Audre Lorde’s “Hanging Fire.”

Answer 1

In “Young” Anne Sexton uses many figurative languages. “A thousand doors ago, when I was a lonely kid” shows that the speaker is looking back at his/her childhood to reflect about it. She uses “a thousand doors ago” to determine the changes she has endured from that time. She shows her memories “it was summer, as long as I could remember”. Lorde’s “Hanging Fire” also uses figurative language, but the voice of the speaker is the main difference from Sexton’s poem. Lorde begins the poem with “I am fourteen” with a certain authoritative voice. You can see during the poem that the writer is not happy with the past, she is frustrated with the world around her, a totally different vibe than Sexton’s past. There are similarities between both poems, both of them are women talking about their pasts, but they have totally different perspectives and memories.

Answer 2

First when Sexton says; "A thousand doors ago" in the poem "Young" she uses a hyperbole, an extreme exaggeration, to explain what time in her life she is talking about. Next Sexton says; "the wise stars bedding over me" in the poem "Young" she uses personification, gives human characteristics to non-humans, to explain that she is outside at night, with the stars above her. Third Sexton says; "The boards on the house were smooth and white as wax" in the poem "Young" she uses imagery, concrete or abstract images that appeal to the scenes, to show that the boards on the house were smooth. And she uses a simile when she says "white as wax" which means she used like or as to compare two subjects. In this line she compares the color white and wax to help explain further what color the house was.