Alliteration In 'Sonrisas' By Pat Mora

In the poem “Sonrisas” by Pat Mora, the poet uses word connotations, onomatopoeia, and alliteration to convey that some people in this world are more genuine than others. Right at the start of the poem, the author describes “[living] in a doorway/between two rooms.” In the first room, the author experiences “careful women in crisp beige/suits, quick beige smiles.” These two lines heavily rely on the word “beige” and its connotations. Beige means a yellowish brown color and is associated with offices, among other places, thus giving it a connotation of being very standard. Because these women give “quick beige smiles,” the author shows the reader that their smiles are standard and brief. These word further prove that these women do not genuinely

This phrase adds to the robot imagery and helps support the meaning that the author conveys. Finally, alliteration, used when the author ventures into the next room, provides a sense of genuity unlike the devices used to describe the previous group of women. Once the author travels to the next room, she sees “señoras/in faded dresses stir sweet/milk coffee.” Immediately upon reading these few lines, the reader already gets the sense that these women are much more truthful and real. The alliteration of the “s” sound in “stir” and “sweet” creates a soft melody in the poem, almost like a lullaby. The peaceful melody of this new room allows the reader to have a more relaxed and trusting mindset about this group of women. In addition, a lullaby is a song a mother sings to a child, giving these women motherly qualities in the reader’s mind. Because these women seem sweet, gentle, and motherly, the poet conveys that they are genuine and can be trusted. Though the world in “Sonrisas” may be fictional, through her usage of poetic devices Pat Mora paints an accurate picture of real life, where not everyone means everything that they