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  • Essay / Literary Analysis of “Grenada” by Bruce Bond

    Table of ContentsAllegory of “Grenada”Themes of “Grenada”Works CitedIn contemporary society, many people experience challenges based on the nature of their environment, or sometimes in due to uncertain circumstances over which they have no control. Yet despite the challenges, they often maintain hope that one day they will achieve the peace they desire. In his free verse poem "Pomegranate", Bruce Bond evokes the different phases of life and realizes the essence of personal experience linked by a nourishing, yet bold and passionate fruit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay When composing his piece, the poet uses a combination of various literary devices in an attempt to communicate a strong message to his audience. When reading, one can relate to the message presented by visualizing the narrator's life evoking feelings of sadness, but a deeper desire for peace. Through the use of metaphors and other powerful literary devices, the author personifies and transforms the pomegranate into something more meaningful to explore the difficulties and struggles faced in life. Allegory in “Pomegranate” An allegory, as a literary device, aims to bring to light the hidden meanings of literary works in relation to everyday life. Bond titles his piece “Pomegranate,” which is a sweet but bold and passionate fruit. The fruit symbolizes the valiant obstacles that one may face in daily life. Additionally, it mentions some challenges that the reader can relate to, such as hunger, represented by the constant craving mentioned in the poem. The lines "...holding the hard fruit in your simple hand..." (4), as well as "...the shallow crack splits and reddens..." (7), explain the feeling of hopelessness in which the narrator exists at that time, which even allows the reader to better understand the current situation. Delving deeper into the narration, the lines "...his honeycomb full of dead bees..." (9) and "...your hunger is a straight, pinned, singing line..." (10) indicate that the character has sunk too deeply into frustration to the point that it is difficult to come back. Towards the end of the poem, the writer mentions a few points that introduce the expectation of a better day despite the problems. These are “…now, wherever you go, it’s winter.” (19) and "Even in March as you return to the love of your name..." (22). These statements are both intended to demonstrate the experience of winter and snow as erasing existing burdens to usher in a new beginning. With this, Bond illustrates that one can overcome all challenges and that better days can replace the worst. Themes in "Grenada" The author presents various topics of discussion, also called themes, that the reader can easily relate to - from within the text. To define difficulty, statements such as "... brushing a blue fly on an already reddened and distorted surface..." (2) or "... a knife and a narrow gaze to guide it.. ." (5) are profound and inspire the reader to recognize the condition of many people around the world. Additionally, he mentions that for a person to overcome a situation, they must take a righteous path. It is clear from this that an individual can overcome difficulties when they use the advice learned in their difficult times to define their future. Knowing in advance what consequences may arise from taking a wrong path is described by the author as follows: "...all those times when you slipped your tongue into the luminous tomb like.