Imagery and metaphors
Imagery and metaphors are usual figures of speech in poems, but also in prose fiction. However, tropes are more important in poems due to the fact the author has a limited amount of words through which he/she can convey a message. In “Warning to Parents”, Elizabeth Jennings resorts to:
- Imagery
- Allusion
- Similes and comparisons
- Metaphors and personifications
- Symbols
Imagery
Imagery is defined as the use of descriptive words designed to create images in the minds of the readers. In this poem, the poet constructs several images which are in contrast. The first and second stanzas create the image of vulnerable children who need to be protected by “The ghost behind the stairs, the hidden crime” (p. 142, l. 2) and of lying in bed at night, feeling scared:
Be sure there is a night-light close at hand;
The plot of that old film may well come back,
The ceiling, with its long uneven crack, (p. 141, ll. 6-8)
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Similes and comparisons
Two comparisons are used in the poem. First, the speaker associates herself with other parents in order to compare the development of children into adults with that of present day adults:
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Symbols
Several elements can be interpreted as symbolic in the poem. For instance, the “ghost behind the stairs” (p. 141, l. 2) can be seen as a symbol of fear while the “hidden crime” (p. 141, l. 2) is a symbol of violence.
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