A Woman Potted Plant

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“a woman is not a potted plant” by poet Alice Walker is an honest look at the twentieth century struggles of woman. It delivers a bittersweet sweet message; by employing exacting and fluid metaphors, crafty forms of alliteration, and a speaker who demands attention in just the first lines and then lulls us to a soft ending with a couplet. The power of the poem is felt in its form as a free verse as well as the word choice. The first two lines are concise, but work efficiently in their objective to show the reader a strong voice is being used, “A WOMAN IS NOT/A POTTED PLANT.” It is also worth noting that this verse is the only use of capitalization throughout the poem, which is by no means a subtle way to gain the audience’s attention. The speaker is likely a woman who is preaching to a world that has not yet acknowledged women’s full potential and the weight of those words way heavily.
The succeeding lines take a more delicate route with “h” the delicacy with which the author is balances this prized verse comes across as a demanding whisper. The shape of the text shortens under the bold heading and immediately softens. The sound and shape continues throughout the rest of the poem in short quick words, giving the reader the sense that there is a secret between them and the speaker. …show more content…

The use of “potted plant” in the second line sounds as a reminder of importance of the subject. But is smoother and understated compared to the first time hearing it. Still, the power allows readers to almost hear spat of the lips like the sound of a snare drum. The way the word “contours” comes in the third line is vivid, as the image it creates is comprehensive and unique. Along with the accompanying “of her sex” it make sure of a splendid imprinting of an image in the readers’

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