How I Learned to Sweep by Julia Alvarez
Amar Singh
EN-190
Professor Rosado
July 8, 2012
How I Learned to Sweep by Julia Alvarez (Page 650)
In which form is the poem written (for example, is it a sonnet? Free verse? Lyric poem
This poem was written in 1996 in a conventional style form. The poem has 39 lines.
What is the setting and social context of the poem?
The setting and social context of this poem is in America in the mid 90’s when the war in the Far East was going on as it is stated in the poem. It takes place in her home or apartment or wherever she stays. She is living with her mom because her mom orders her to sweep the floor.
Does the poem demonstrate a rhyme scheme? If so, what is it?
The poem doesnt really demonstrate a rhyme scheme. It is written in a pretty straight forward matter.
Point out any similes that you find in the poem. How do they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem?
There are several similes present in the poem. One is when her mother says she wants to be able to eat dinner off that table. She was implying to her daughter that the floor was dirty and that it needed to be clean. It was indirectly said. Another simile is when it says, “Her floor was as immaculate as a just washed dinner plate” (Line 13). This implied that she had cleaned the floor so good that it was as clean as a clean dinner plate. Another simile was when it said, “I watched a dozen of them die- as if their dust fell through the screen” (Line 29). This implied that the violence that she was witnessing on television was so brutal and affected her that she felt that she had to clean harder. To get rid of the fallen dust that she imagined. All these contributed to the overall meaning of the poem because it makes you be able to vision some of the scenes and events that can be hard to understand if they weren’t written in that way.
Point out any metaphors that you find in the poem. How do they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem?
The metaphors that were in the poem were the same as the similes. They contribute to the overall meaning of the poem because without metaphors one would not be hooked to what they are reading.