- Published: January 19, 2022
- Updated: January 19, 2022
- University / College: Birkbeck, University of London
- Language: English
- Downloads: 3
It was written similarly to a descriptive manual for making choices, whether significant or insignificant. By not taking a side but striving to represent each line correctly, it led the reader to put more thought into the decisions they make every day. And unlike narratives, character portraits, or landscapes, decision-making cannot be searched up for analysis even on the extremely useful Wisped. Making choices stimulates our minds to think of the long and short term effects of our decisions, which this poem encourages us to do along tit the use of figures of speech, poetic devices, and imagery. The figures of speech displayed in the poem led to a greater understanding of it.
Rather than directly stating that she is trying to describe two choices, Naomi personified the lines by stating: “ The one to the right moves more quickly, the left line at a more leisurely pace. ” This helped the reader imagine the right line as a shortcut and the left line as the normal path. She also suggested that one “ may prove beneficial to certain dispositions.
” This was one of the main messages of the poem and helped me member that one choice could always lead to a better conclusion. People are successful because they make good decisions, which come from experience and can only be obtained through bad decisions in the past. She seemed to exaggerate the effects of the choices by using hyperbole as she said, “ A factor to keep in mind: in joining the line to the right/ you will end life as a beggar. If you decide on the line to the left ‘ everything you believe will become nonsense. ” Her usage of these figures of speech further helped me to comprehend and form an image of this poem. The attic devices presented in “ Ordinance of Lining Up” allowed the poet to create a catchy visual and auditory effect throughout the entire poem with enjambment and alliteration. She stated: “ A line will form to the right/ and one to the left.
You must join/ one of them. ” By breaking up the lines, she gave the impression of a natural and an unceasing flow of speech. This made the poem more powerful and effective in moving the reader.
Next, when the poet said, “ after careful consideration,” and “ to protect your privileges,” she used alliteration to make the poem sound more interesting, to keep the poem flowing, and to evoke emotion. Another way the poem appealed and spoke directly to the reader was the use of second person narration, especially at the last line when the poet said, “ Good luck to you. ” Furthermore, the tone of the poem was very informative and sincere. The poet herself did not attempt to present a descriptive image in her poem. Instead of painting a picture in my mind, she was able to evoke feelings and deep thoughts through the poem because of her poem’s unlimited connections.
I was then able to imagine my own scenario of an average person staring at the signs of two roads: rich without fame or fame without rich. Of course, he/she must “ choose the line he/she is most attracted to” and “ stand at the end of it. ” When the poet says, “ However, if you look closely you will see subtle differences,” she proves the point that even the most difficult choices can reveal their differences when one takes the time to think carefully.
With the thought of this scene formed by in mind, I was able gain a strong liking to this poem. Finally, “ Ordinance on Lining Up” was the piece of literature that expanded my thoughts. I was able to express and connect to the same feeling of tension of the poem whenever a choice had to be made. It focused on the frustration of choosing the right decision but more on the fact that your choice reflected your view of that time and could definitely affect your future.
Since this poem emphasized on making decision so much, the worst decision must be making no choices at all. As Cassandra Clare in City of Glass once said, “ In the end that was the choice you made, and it doesn’t matter how hard it was to make it. It matters that you did. “