Anne Sexton

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What are examples of a metaphor and consonance in "Her Kind" by Anne Sexton?

Quick answer:

A metaphor is a comparison between two things, and consonance is when consonant sounds are repeated in a line of poetry. We know that Anne Sexton suffered with depression her entire life, experiencing anxiety and fear early on as a child. We can see evidence of this in the poem, "Her Kind." She describes herself as having " fur / sprouting from [her] ears," and she mentions that her hands are claws. These are images of animals. She even mentions "scurrying to [her] hole," another animal image, This imagery represents how anxious or frightened Anne feels about the outside world; she does not want to venture out into society because she feels like an outsider or a monster.

Expert Answers

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A metaphor is a direct comparison between two things. For instance, the expression "your words are music to my ears" is a metaphor comparing what someone has said to music. Now that you have that definition, reread the poem and see if you can find any lines where the speaker compares herself to something. (Hint: the only metaphor I can see is in the first few lines.)

Consonance is a form of alliteration in which consonant sounds are repeated in a line of poetry. For instance, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is an example of consonance because the consonant "p" is used repetitively. The consonant doesn't necessarily have to be repeated as many times as the "p" is in the tongue twister. Look through the poem and try to find any lines in which a letter is repeated two or more times. (Hint: look at the first stanza.)

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