A Wonderful Metaphor

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A Wonderful Metaphor Allen Ginsberg is the author of the poem that I decided to read and that I find truly interesting and meaningful; a poem named “Homework.” I admire the way Ginsberg created this wonderful piece of literature to explain his inconformity with the world’s poor environmental state, political dynamics and social wrongdoings. Ginsberg compares the action of himself doing the laundry and doing the same to the world to wash out his own inconformity. One could think he is trying to explain that this world needs to change, but more profoundly he is saying that everyone’s “Homework” is to actively participate in changing this world for the better. Laundry is a duty that no matter how rich, poor, small, tall, black, white, etc, one is, one will always have to do. In my case, every week from Monday to Sunday I change clothes usually twice daily and then after accumulating two weeks’ worth of dirty clothes I do the laundry with my wife. Washing our clothes entails removing the dirt or stains accumulated on garments through use. In essence, washing our garments allows for the renewal and revival of our clothes. For the same reason I do the laundry, Ginsberg express to all world citizens, they should also laundry the planet. As described above, Ginsberg’s poem is a metaphor between performing a colloquial duty like washing clothes and everyone’s responsibility with the world. In the same way that doing laundry is something one has to do continuously and routinely, it is our obligation to care for the world as part of our daily responsibilities. Caring for the world or “washing the planet” is understood as exercising environmental responsibility. Simple actions that we are all capable of doing can lead to a big impact on the environment. Saving water and energy at home is one example of protecting the environment. Other tasks like recycling or using

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