Expect Nothing By Alice Walker Literary Devices

The poem “Expect Nothing” by Alice Walker is simply telling the reader to expect nothing from life. Alice Walker doesn't use much literary devices in this poem and it has no rhyme scheme. Even though the poem is simple and plain, it still has some strength and meaning presented. In Alice Walker's poem “Expect Nothing” the poet uses metaphors, structure of the poem and personification to emphasize her message.

Alice Walker uses few literary devices throughout this poem. One that is present in the poem is a metaphor. Her use of few literary devices gives the poem some strength. In lines 10-16 it states “Wish for nothing larger / Than your own small heart / Or greater than a star; / Tame wild disappointment / With caress unmoved and cold / Make of it a parka / For your soul.” The metaphor included in this is the comparison of a human

The poet does not use much of this literary device but it adds meaning to the poem and helps you to understand the poem more. The poet says to “tame wild disappointment.” The word disappointment in this phrase is given characteristics of an animal of some species. You can make this connection because nothing can be “tamed” but an animal. The true meaning behind this phrase is to control your disappointment, which is unbearable, because you are bound to get disappointed. Another example of personification in this poem that is included is “...a parka / For your soul.” (Lines 15-16). In these lines, the soul is given human characteristics. The poem is saying that the soul has the ability to wear a parka, which is a jacket for the cold. These lines mean to cover the soul from the disappointment as you would from the cold. This makes sense because in the context of this poem disappointment is compared to the cold. The poem “Expect Nothing” has a simple message and that is to expect nothing from life. Her usage of metaphors, personification and the structure of the poem emphasizes that