![]() "The hill we climb" (metaphor): The title of the poem, this phrase is used by the speaker to describe the work that must be done to change American society. "The belly of the beast" (metaphor): The speaker describes the past four years, and the other challenges in American history, as going through the "belly of the beast," meaning that the worst pain is past us, but that we are still inside the beast, and that there still comes the challenge of trying to escape. "A sea we must wade" (metaphor): The speaker compares the sea to a series of challenges that "we" must get through, the word "wade" referring to the action of moving through a body of water but remaining generally upright. Despite this, the material lends these efforts a noble and historic air, so the bronze-pounded chest becomes a symbol of resilience even after turmoil. When the speaker refers to their bronze-pounded chest, the implication is that the chest has undergone difficult situations before, and "every breath" from it is labored. Bronze was a difficult material to work with, and typically had to be poured into a mold to create any sort of shape. Athens was the birthplace of modern democracy, and from architecture to philosophy, the impact of ancient Greek thought on American ways of life is enormous. ![]() ![]() Bronze was a material that was used in ancient Greece, a civilization that has many ties to American society. "bronze-pounded chest" (metaphor): The speaker here refers to some sort of armor, implying a warrior-like identity for the speaker of the poem. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |