The Purpose of Altar Boys (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Alberto Rios
- First Published: 1982
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Justice, Children, Memory, Perception, Religion, Good and evil, Catholics or Catholic Church, Night, Sacraments
The Poem
“The Purpose of Altar Boys” is composed in free verse. Its forty-five lines are held together in a single stanza. The title appears to be straightforward and serious, preparing the reader for an account of the function of altar boys in the Catholic church. Alberto Ríos, however, looking back from the point of view of adulthood, assumes the voice of a mischievous altar boy who has created innovations in the performance of his duties when he assists the priest during the sacrament of Communion. As the poem progresses, the word “purpose” of the title takes on the...
[The entire page is 1552 words long]
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