Analysis Of Blackberry Eating By Galway Kinnell

In the poem, “Blackberry Eating,” the author, Galway Kinnell, skillfully blends his love for eating blackberries with his love for words through the use of comparisons, imagery and sound devices. Serving as a metaphor for words, blackberries are compared multiple times in the poem to convey the author’s ardent love for both the fruit and the english language. In the first few lines, Kinnell immediately mentions his love for blackberries and speaks about the prickly stalks of blackberry bushes, “a penalty/they earn for knowing the black art of blackberry-making.” In these lines, the author is comparing the dangers and risks of blackberry picking to the “dangers” of words used in the art of poetry-writing. Words used in poetry can often offend people who have differing opinions, so one must be careful

Similar to when he eats blackberries, words also come to his tongue without conscious effort, which suggests that both - eating blackberries and writing poetry - come to the author naturally. Throughout the poem, Kinnell also uses vivid imagery that appeals to all the senses to give the reader a clear image of his love for blackberries and words. Painting a vivid picture of the late September atmosphere in the beginning and end of the poem, Kinnell uses words like “startled,” “silent,” and “icy.” to create an eerie mood in the poem, as they suggest a dark and spooky atmosphere in the late Autumn air. However, when Kinnell depicts his blackberry picking and eating process in the poem, the mood shifts to a more lighthearted atmosphere as he says “I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well.” This image of the author exuberantly enjoying his blackberries outside in the icy weather of late September, shows the reader that nothing can stop the author from enjoying something he