Poetry Analysis - a Blessing

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Cramer Ward­Collings 1/29/14 LIT2000 Poetry Analysis of “A Blessing” The poem “A Blessing” by James Wright paints a humbling picture of life for the reader using a deep metaphor. Wright uses metaphors throughout his poem to describe the finer moments of life. The first metaphor used in the poem is one of a highway. The use of a highway gives the readers a picture of a journey, of a direction, and of others going the same way. The highway is a metaphor for life and when wright stops on the side of it to enjoy the horses, he is appreciating life and “stopping to smell the roses”. Wright is traveling through this poem, and through his life, with his friend. Wright and his friend step over barbed wire to get into the pasture with the horses. Barbed wire represents a sacrifice or a struggle that Wright has to overcome/take to get away from the busy fast paced highway into the pasture where his life beauty is. Wright also describes the horses as being excited to see the two of them. This could represent a passion of Wright’s that he wishes he could enjoy more often. I believe the horses represent two children that Wright has, and his friend could be a metaphor for his wife. The way that Wright describes the horses is from a perspective of a loving caretaker. As a father figure, it would make sense that the horses would be his children. Wright describes one of the horses as being more slender and feminine. I believe that horse represents a daughter of his. My theory is further confirmed when he describes the horse as having a mane that falls over her face, as human bangs would. Wright describes this horse as being black and white in coloration. These colors could be a visual representation of the good and bad that Wright can see in this effigy of his daughter. Through all these metaphors, I believe Wright is looking back on his life, as it
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