Poets

"The Taxi"

by Amy Lowell

[Where you would put your citation]

I Simile

A. "When I go away from you/ The world beats dead/ Like a slackened

drum."

i. Here, the author is comparing the way the world without her

lover sounds to that of a flat, broken, or "slackened" drum.

ii. This means that when she leaves her lover,

the world seems out of tune or "beats" irregularly.

II Metaphor

A. "Why should I leave you,/ To wound myself upon the sharp edges of

the night?"

i. Here, Amy Lowell is comparing the night that she is without

her lover to an object with sharp edges like a knife or

axe or sword.

ii. This means that when she leaves her lover, it is like

cutting herself upon something sharp; like slitting

her wrist. Both actions cause her pain.

III Hyperbole

A. "...And the lamps of the city prick my eyes/ So that I can no longer

see your face."

i. In these