Using evidence to make a point. Poetry question: How does this figurative language contribute to the overall feeling or effect of this poem?

This question asks you to talk about the feeling shown by the language in a poem. Therefore, you should: -Identify imagery/figurative language in the poem. -Explain the feeling that this imagery brings about.

Steps for writing your paragraph. Step 1: Write a topic sentence. Question: How does this figurative language contribute to the overall feeling or effect of this poem? Topic Sentence: The figurative language in “Incident in a Rose Garden” contributes to an overall feeling of both fright and friendliness.

Step 2: Cite evidence from the text. “Black coat on, black gloves, a broad black hat.” (lines 8 – 9) “With the pale glow of those lanterns” (line 36) “Dressed like a Spanish waiter..”(line 20) “And held that out in greeting, A little cage of bone.” (line 148)

Step 3: Add commentary/explanation Death is frightful because he is black and his eyes glow. Black is a color often associated with evil and darkness which instills a sense of fright in the reader. His glowing eyes are eerie and remind us that he isn’t human. The image of a Spanish waiter is one of polite manners. A friendly image that makes the reader more comfortable with the figure of death. This feeling is further evoked by the well-mannered hand-shake that death offers. These images have a feeling of camaraderie rather than fear.

Step 4: Bring it all together: The figurative language in “Incident in a Rose Garden” contributes to an overall feeling of both fright and friendliness. The poem gives a human presence to Death in several places. For example, Death has a “Black coat on, black gloves, a broad black hat.” (lines 8 – 9) Also, his eyes begin to glow “With the pale glow of those lanterns.” (line 36) Death is frightful because he is wearing black and his eyes glow. Black is a color often associated with evil and darkness which instills a sense of fright in the reader. His glowing eyes are eerie and remind us that he isn’t human. On the other hand, Death seems friendly. Even though he is in black, he is “Dressed like a Spanish waiter.”(line 20) His actions are friendly as well since he extends his hand, “And held that out in greeting, A little cage of bone.” (line 148) The image of a Spanish waiter is one of polite manners, a friendly image that makes the reader more comfortable with the figure of death. This feeling is further evoked by the well-mannered hand-shake that death offers. These images create a feeling of camaraderie rather than fear.