“Simile, Willow and Ginkgo”

The poem “Simile, Willow and Ginkgo” is about how the Ginkgo tree is ugly and the Willow tree is far superior over the Ginkgo. Throughout the whole poem, the poet makes you believe that she favors the Willow tree more, until you read the last stanza where the poet says that her heart goes to the Ginkgo tree. In “Simile, Willow and Ginkgo”, Eve Merriam uses form, figurative language, and sound devices to show the reader that some things may be ugly on the outside but beautiful on the inside. The poet uses traditional form. This is true because there is the same number of lines in stanzas one through five. Another way to tell that the poem is traditional form is because it has a clear rhyme scheme. You can find the rhyme scheme by looking at the last word of each line, and by seeing which words rhyme and which words don’t. The poem may seem like it is unconventional form at first because in every stanza there is four lines , but in the very last stanza, there are only two lines. It may also seem unconventional because the last two lines are italicized. The last two lines are italicized because the poet wanted to really get the reader’s attention to show the reader how she really feels. The poet uses figurative language and similes a lot throughout the poem. For example, in lines one through four, Eve Merriam is telling the readers that the Willow tree is like an etching and that the
Ginkgo tree is a crude sketch. Another example is in lines 13 through 16, where Eve says that the Willow tree is like a nymph with streaming hair, and that the Willow is protected and precious. In the stanza after that, lines 17 through 20, Eve says that the Ginkgo tree is like a city child growing up in the streets.
Throughout the poem in stanzas one through five, the poet is telling the reader that she loves the
Willow tree because it is beautiful, but hates the Ginkgo tree because it is ugly. The poet uses sound devices a lot throughout the poem. This poem has 22 lines and six stanzas.
Eve Merriam uses a consistent rhyme scheme throughout the poem. The rhyme scheme for the first stanza is a,b,c,b. This shows that two words at the end of each line rhyme. This poem uses assonance.
For example, in lines one through four, Eve Merriam uses etching and sketch. Another example of assonance is in lines 21 through 22. Eve Merriam uses Willow and Ginkgo. The poet also uses onomonopia.