Literary Analysis Of Ironing, Ironing Their Clothes, By Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez poems “Dusting”, “Ironing Their Clothes”, and “Sometimes the Words Are So Close” have the ability to be closely compared in regards to theme and the use of syntax to create a vivid feeling, and image. Alvarez also made use of literary devices such as cacophony, and figures of speech such as anaphora. These 3 poems are able to be analysed together because of the distinct use of the same underlying theme between these 3 poems, with that in mind, each of these poems are able to be analysed closely because all three discuss the feelings that overtake someone who is constantly told to keep quiet and out of the way.
These poems are not as complex when compared to other poems, and with that being said they do not take an abundance of inference to determine the theme of the poem. Because they are not as complex as others all 3 of these poems are capable of being paraphrased to better understand the main idea of the poem. When putting the poem into different words, one can

In “Dusting”, Alvarez is sure to create a picture of a little girl running through the house while a stern mother is chasing her around erasing every finger drawn name she can find. And in “Ironing Their Clothes”, she creates a picture of a girl going through the “interactions” she has with her family members. Only these interactions consist only through the iron and their clothes. Alvarez uses words the provoke a feeling of panic that cause the reader to feel similar to the way the person does in the poem. As the writer is realizing they are more themself on paper than in person. The writer then goes onto say “Why do I get confused living it through?” (9). While posing this question, the writer makes the reader undergo a feeling of question, and confusion as to why a child is able to write who they are, but not able to do the most basic thing… to live