Jane Kenyon‘s “Otherwise” gets its name from the refrain she uses when she repeats “it might have been otherwise” throughout the poem. This repetition emphasizes her gratitude for the small things in life that many people take for granted: waking up, walking, eating, and so on. In the last two lines, she twists this refrain, noting that things will one day be “otherwise.” This helps to underscore her theme of delighting in every moment because of one’s ephemeral existence.

In addition to the use of the refrain, Kenyon uses imagery in the poem. Sensory details, such as “ripe, flawless peach,” are sparse in this poem, which is why the examples present stand out. This particular image of the perfect breakfast shows how the speaker savors every bite—even though she has likely had many similar peaches before.

These are the two most prevalent devices in this stark poem, and both devices serve to communicate Kenyon’s theme.

This poem makes use of repetition of the phrase "It could have been otherwise," repeated four times throughout the text. This functions as a refrain: words, lines, or groups of lines that are repeated in a work. Whatever words or lines are repeated again and again are clearly important to the meaning of the text, especially in poetry, because poetry is so condensed and uses so few words compared to prose works, like novels. Repetition draws attention to the fact that the narrator is very aware of all the advantages and privileges that she enjoys each day; she has strong legs that support her—not everyone does. She gets to eat a healthy and delicious breakfast, take her dog for a walk, and do work that is meaningful and satisfying to her—not everyone does. The narrator gets to spend time with someone she loves, eat a dinner with expensive candlesticks, sleep in a comfortable room, and plan for more days like the one she's enjoyed—not everyone does. The repetition of the idea that "It could have been otherwise" conveys the speaker's gratitude for the things and the time she has, and she is very aware that someday, it will be otherwise, as she says in the final lines. The earlier repetition directs readers to the poem's carpe diem message. We must seize the day, making the most of our time and appreciating the things that make our lives wonderful. In addition, we can recognize that not everyone enjoys the same circumstances as everyone else, and we ought to be grateful when our circumstances are pleasant.

There are a few different literary (or poetic) devices used in the poem "Otherwise" by Jane Kenyon.

Assonance- Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound within a line of poetry. Assonance is found in the first line of the poem.

I got out of bed.

Here, the "o" sound is repeated in both "got" and "out."

Imagery- Imagery is the use of words/descriptions which appeal to the senses of the reader and allow the creation of a mental image for the reader (as to what is going on or being described). An example of imagery can be found in lines four through seven.

I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach.

Here, Kenyon is appealing to the sense of smell, sight, taste, and touch. The description of the cereal, the milk, and the peach can appeal to the senses of an engaged reader and allow them o create a mental image of what Kenyon's breakfast looked, felt, smelled, and tasted like.

Alliteration- Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound within a line of poetry. An example of alliteration is found in line fourteen:

with my mate. It might

In this line the "m" sound is repeated in the words "my," "mate," and "might."