"Remora, Remora" by Thomas Lux

Thomas Lux deploys a disappointed and disapproving tone in "Remora, Remora," complaining about social immobility and severe reliance on individuals higher up in the social scene. Lux utilizes metaphor and syndeton to further this message. He builds on an extended metaphor throughout the poem, as he compares the remora fish to a common individual in modern society, reliant upon government and powerful lawmakers and businessman to push the tide of the world. Lux's syndeton constructs this message, as seemingly-infinite conjunctions build this metaphorical hierarchy of aquatic social structure: "and feeding off its crumbs...and on top of that one...until on top of that." The extended metaphor becomes increasingly evident; a common person "rides along in the blue current," waiting for higher-ups to make a move and control their lives. Lux calls for an end to this reliance and greater power to the people, as he uses syndeton and an extended metaphor to hammer in this message of a social hierarchy that needs to be taken down.

"Wheels" by Jim Daniels

Jim Daniels, in his poem "Wheels," believes that life flies by quickly and, if not appreciated, will go by the wayside. He exercises a regretful, sorrowful tone along with asyndeton and repetitive imagery to convince the reader of this pervasive belief. He begins by iterating the imagery of his brother's wall, skipping conjunctions to add this repetitive, endless effect: "every motorcycle, car, truck." Further on, Daniels neglects to add conjunctions (or proper syntax) between lines to achieve a timeless element to the poem that shows how quickly life goes by. He also repeats "waving" every three lines in order to convey a changing picture and life, but without having time pass on. Finally, his brother is "waving waving," as there is "no camera to save him" from his destiny as a forgotten individual with a life completed. Daniels utilizes asyndeton and repetitive imagery to have the images of his brother's life change but time to continue on mercilessly, as he proves that life can go by without anyone being there to capture it, for sometimes it is necessary to simply take a second to snap a picture.

"Farewell" by Edward Field

In Edward Field's "Farewell," stanza breaks and extended metaphor are used with an anxious and cold tone to illustrate the issues of trust and what mistrust can cause. Field uses the metaphor of an individual cluelessly venturing into an icy ocean, knowing that he will not survive but trusting nonetheless. There is a paragraph break after "stepping out on it," as Field realizes that his trust was misplaced, but now he has no option to go back. He is forced to "carry on cooly," continuing in a calm manner because he has gone in too deep. The metaphor continues with the use of a "captain's helmet," representing the incredible leadership he requires to continue on to his metaphorical death without breaking a sweat. He waves goodbye to his loved ones, showing just how much inconvenience this mistrust has caused. The "ice meets again over [his] head with a click," as Field's fate is determined and he has now suffered. The metaphor and the break help Field show how the mistrust occurs and how it can be used for negative aspects that serve only to hurt.

"The Partial Explanation" by Charles Simic

Charles Simic uses an impatient and depressed tone with imagery and repetition to emphasize that silence and nothingness causes sadness and individuals to be impatient in misery. Simic repeats "seems" in "Seems like a long time... / Seems like it has grown darker," to show that the subject has began to count the seconds until the order comes, with boredom overtaking them. Simic brings in a "glass of ice water" to show that this is all that keeps him company. He now feels lonely in the absence of company and a melting glass of ice. The common feeling of a winter's day is also presented, as the "snow falling outside" casts a gloomy feeling into the luncheonette. There is a "longing / An incredible longing" by Simic to be involved with the conversation of cooks, as the author uses repetition to illustrate the seemingly infinite lack of company. Simic searches for a friend between these lines and now grows more and more impatient as time passes, which becomes evident with the use of repetive phrases and gloomy imagery.

"The Bat" by Theodore Roethke

"The Bat" conveys a fearful and foreshadowing tone while Theodore Roethke uses metaphor to compare "The Bat" to individuals unmet and experiences unencountered. At the forefront of the poem, the analogy seems calm, as "By day the bat is cousin to the mouse. / He likes the attic of an aging house." This illustrates that at times, the bat can be a motionless image, one that causes no harm to one who sees it. The next few sentences demonstrate the different personalities of the bat, as it is seen to both "[loop] in crazy figures" and "make a hat above his head." Like the unknown, the bat takes on several personalities and ideas, but it most often takes on the appearance of the last stanza: "something is amiss or out of place / When mice with wings can wear a human face." Here, the metaphor is explained to the reader, as this fearful picture of a human mouse shows that humans not yet seen in life take on this foreshadowed image of a fearsome mouse, with their intentions unknown. In lies Roethke's thesis, as he uses metaphor to illustrate that it is unclear what life has in store for every individual, but it will likely at first seem scary until "The Bat" is shown in its light.

"The Poet" by Tom Wayman

Tom Wayman sarcastically and empoweringly uses generalized catalogs and improper grammar to explain that all poets experience issues in their craft. The poem's lines dismiss correct syntax in favor of mocking the perceived faults of a writer, with faux humor abound: "Does not understand what he reads / Does not understand what he hears." These consistent images of a dense person serve to illustrate, in an antithetical manner, how a poet can have a multitude of cognitive flaws but still succeed in their artistry. Wayman seeks to exemplify that no poet is perfect, writing in odd diction and grammar, "Has great difficulty interpreting proverbs." This line, in particular, stands out, as theoretically, the assumption exists that the greatest of poets have limited trouble discerning the message of difficult works. Tom Wayman destroys this misconception in one fell swoop, using parallel syntax in his catalogs to show that poets should push through in their works and not fall by the wayside simply because of errors in the learning process.

"At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border" by William E. Stafford

The Canadian border's intricacies and simplicities are illuminated in William E. Stafford's "At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border" by irony and a disappointed but hopeful attitude. Stafford begins by painting an antithetical portrait of a general battlefield, one that the reader anticipates to be haunted and filled with gore. Yet the picture illustrated is serene, making it ironic and unexpected by the reader. The field is "where the battle did not happen / where the unknown soldier did not die." Rather, the border is peaceful, unlike others such as the Russian-Ukranian borders. Stafford is a pacifist, as he enjoys the peaceful borders and hopes for others to be similar in nature. He appreciates that there is no hero of the battlefield, but rather just a sky and a field celebrated by not being named. Stafford's use of irony shows how the beauty in calmness and how that should be appreciated more than war and bloodshed.

“Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?" by Ron Koertge

Ron Koertge cleverly invokes a sarcastic yet focused tone to instantiate the steps for the reader to take control of their life with the help of an extended metaphor in his poem "Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?" After pointing the reader to a library, Koertge paints a child fooling around as an individual refusing to live along the commonalities of society. This falls in line with the rejection of places where there are "more than three people wearing turtlenecks." Instead of living like all others – reading books and playing tennis in a muffled setting, as Koertge maintains – it is best for the advice seeker to, like the child, dismiss the reactions of onlookers. Instead, do the enjoyable and individualistic act. This method is unusual and does not fit in, but rather is best for the one doing so, as it will place the individual away from the crowd and helped the seeker of advice advance. Although this may cause others to frown, Koertge shows it is best for the one who takes action and should be repeated to fully set the individual apart from their peers.