What Does The Woman Hanging From The 13th Floor Mean
I see poems like riddles, that readers try to figure out, and interpret in their own way. Writers tend to write in code, they write in a way that can be interpreted as many things, and it’s all about how the reader understands it and to me that is so interesting. There are two things specifically to me that help a writer hide the true meaning of the piece, and that is symbolism and figurative language. Symbolism is so important in poetry because it allows the writer to tell a story without outright saying it. Symbolism helps hide the true meaning, however figurative language helps the reader get a better understanding of what the author is describing. I will be pointing out the impact these have on the poems “Persimmons” by Li Young Lee, “Metaphors” …show more content…
This poem is about a woman with thoughts of suicide. The symbolism I noticed in this poem is a little more deep. Usually, in buildings there is no 13th floor because of the fear of the unlucky number 13. So, in this poem, in my eyes, the 13th floor symbolizes bad luck and non-existence, which is what is going through the woman's mind as she hangs from the 13th floor. The aspect of the thirteenth floor adds incredible depth to this poem. When it comes to figurative language in this poem there’s plenty. I noticed more similes in this one, my favorite being: “Her mind chatters like neon and northside bars” (Harjo 140). The figurative language in this poem specifically helps emphasize the depth of the problems in one’s mind when having suicide thoughts. It helps it make more sense to people who may not understand the struggle. It uses real life scenarios to describe what’s going on inside the woman’s head so your average person can make more sense of it. I think this poem describes the struggle beautifully. The reason I chose this poem specifically is because of how different it is from the other two I chose, the symbolism and figurative language is used
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