Summary Of Jenny Joseph's Warning

Throughout the poem “Warning” by Jenny Joseph, the speaker’s thoughts are detailed and the

speaker’s optimistic, aspirant state of mind is revealed through the use of formal diction, vivid imagery,

and structured syntax.

Dreaming of a future that allows her to wear purple “with a red hat which doesn’t go”, the

speaker imagines a world where she can make up for wasted time during her youth. She awaits the day

when she can waste her money on unnecessary items and alcohol, shedding her sophisticated manner

and self-control for a more adventurous life filled with all the things she deprived herself of as a young,

classy woman. After describing and day-dreaming about the life she so desires, the speaker faces the

reality that she is weighed down

with responsibilities and must focus on the rent and her children,
putting their needs before her dreams. But although she realizes that this life she dreams of is too far
out of reach, she concludes that she will no longer deprive herself of its entirety, and must learn to
compromise with herself and what is expected of her, deciding she “ought to practice a little now”.

Specifically, the diction and syntax employed by Joseph conveys to the reader the speaker’s state

of mind and the struggle she is having within herself to satisfy her wants but to also meet the needs of

her family. By using declarative and loose sentences, Joseph coveys the attitude through assertive

statements with details after the subject and verb, indicating that the speaker is experiencing this now.

This use of syntax paired with formal, polysyllabic diction that is literary and shifts from euphonious to

cacophonous throughout the poem reveals the sacrifices the speaker has had to make for the sake of

others as she transitions from pleasant sounding words, such as “satin” and “flowers” when dreaming of

the life she desires to less pleasant words when describing reality and the way she has to “pay rent and

not swear in the street”.

The employment of imagery throughout the poem is a major literary device that illustrates the

life the speaker longs for in contrast to the world she lives in. When describing herself as an old

woman,
she imagines “sitting down on the pavement when I’m tired and gobbling up samples in shops and
pressing alarm bells”, describing to the reader of how she dreams of being reckless and youthful once
again, shedding the responsibilities she now endures and just being free to do what makes her happy.
But this humorous image is contrasted with reality as she describes “but now we must have clothes that
keep us dry and pay our rent and not swear in the street and set a good example for the children”,
conveying to the reader that now she must be cautious of her actions because she is expected to be a
good role model for the children and is too busy keeping them clothed and fed to “spend her pension on
brandy”. Imagery is the most effective literary device used to convey the speaker’s thoughts to the
reader as she draws them through her words and dreams.
Through the use of diction, imagery, and syntax, the speaker’s thoughts are revealed and her
state of mind is illustrated as she describes the life she will one day have that is void of all
responsibilities as she sacrifices herself to provide for her family in reality.