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Oranges is a poem about the thoughts and feelings an adolescent boy about to meet up with a girl for a first date. Gary Soto uses a range of poetic devices to ...
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| Gary Soto Oranges is a poem about the thoughts and feelings an adolescent boy about to meet up with a girl for a first date. Gary Soto uses a range of poetic devices to deliver his message. Similes, metaphors, figurative language, and vivid imagery help to develop the pot and appeal to the senses. Summary: The speaker is thinking back on his first date. This date takes place during the cold of winter, but the oranges that he has brought with him are full of warmth and color. They are symbols of hope and confidence.
The first time I walked With a girl, I was twelve, Cold, and weighted down With two oranges in my jacket. December. Frost cracking Beneath my steps, my breath Before me, then gone, As I walked toward Her house, the one whose Porchlight burned yellow Night and day, in any weather. A dog barked at me, until She came out pulling At her gloves, face bright With rouge. I smiled, Touched her shoulder, and led Her down the street, across A used car lot and a line Of newly planted trees, Until we were breathing Before a drugstore. We Entered, the tiny bell Bringing a saleslady Down a narrow aisle of goods. I turned to the candies Tiered like bleachers, And asked what she wanted - Light in her eyes, a smile Starting at the corners Of her mouth. I fingered A nickel in my pocket, And when she lifted a chocolate That cost a dime, I didn’t say anything. I took the nickel from My pocket, then an orange, And set them quietly on The counter. When I looked up,
The lady’s eyes met mine, And held them, knowing Very well what it was all About. Outside, A few cars hissing past, Fog hanging like old Coats between the trees. I took my girl’s hand In mine for two blocks, Then released it to let Her unwrap the chocolate. I peeled my orange That was so bright against The gray of December That, from some distance, Someone might have thought I was making a fire in my hands
Oranges is a free verse poem, that is, it has no end rhymes or rhyme scheme, and the meter is mixed. Tone This poem uses a conversation tone. The speaker wants the reader to experience the date much as he had. It was a nervous time for the speaker, but also an exciting one. Imagery This poem paints a bleak picture of a cold winter day, but offsets it with the bright oranges. These images also contrast the boy’s emotions … nervous but hopeful. Symbolism Oranges take on a lot of symbolic meaning in this poem. They represent the brightness of hope, the warmth of a new relationship, and they contrast against the darkness of the day.
| Bruce Tracy The Hand of an Angel is a short essay inspired by the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto. This essay takes on many characteristics of a poem, such as the use of figurative language and imagery. In the essay, the speaker recounts his first walking date in junior high school.