Analysis Of Cayanan's Poem 'Ugly Feelings'

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Firstly, as one analyzes the poem "Ugly Feelings," it seems as if the persona is merely variations of one singular person. However, each stanza of the poem renders a completely different persona from the previous stanza. Hence, through this strategy, Cayanan reveals how different instances call for different personas. One prominent strategy used by Cayanan in this poem is enjambment which gives off suspense and anticipation to the readers. The line "What a rich inner life you have, he says. He means/ I have no life" (9) encapsulates the emptiness of enthrallment. The persona may have been complimented but this compliment was offensive to him. Consequently, the persona performs gratitude by smiling: "A baby whose smile is gas" which is a metaphor for a strained look that resembles a smile. In other words, the persona's smile was also empty; he did not mean it either. …show more content…

In addition to this, the line "pidgin Spanish" exemplifies how the author's diction emphasizes the persona's struggle to create a makeshift conversation considering the fact that the two have no common language to communicate. The line "I have to love" fully encapsulates and reveals how the persona feels in the relationship−it's as if they're forcing something that isn't there. As can be seen in this poem, each stanza reveals different personas; the different persons Cayanan sees his transcendent self when placed in a specific

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