My father is chinese
He was born near Guangdong And moved to san francisco
When he was twelve years old.
My mother is Korean.
My father met her in Korea When he was in the army.
She came here as his wife.
Each kind of Asian is different, like Italian is different from french, Cuban is different from mexican, And apricots are not plums.
But sometimes you see plucots.
Half plum, half-apricot. Grandma squeezes a plucot And says, Just like you!
Annotate the poem for figurative language
1. "Each kind of Asian is different, like Italian is different from French, Cuban is different from Mexican" - This is a simile comparing the differences between different Asian nationalities to the differences between Italian and French people, as well as Cuban and Mexican people.
2. "And apricots are not plums" - This is a metaphor comparing the differences between apricots and plums to the differences between different Asian nationalities.
3. "But sometimes you see plucots" - This is a metaphor comparing mixed-race individuals to plucots, which are a hybrid fruit that combines characteristics of both plums and apricots.
4. "Grandma squeezes a plucot And says, Just like you!" - This is personification, ascribing human emotions and characteristics to a plucot being squeezed by the grandmother. Additionally, this line could be interpreted as a metaphor for the mixed-race individual being compared to a plucot.
Now do this poem.
Dream-singers, Story-telers, Dancers,
Loud laughers in the hands of Fate- My people.
Dish-washers, Elevator-boys, Ladies' maids, Crap-shooters, Cooks, Waiters, Jazzers,
Nurses of babies, Loaders of ships,
Porters, Hairdressers,
Comedians in vaudeville And band-man in circuses--Dreams-singers all,
Story-tellers all.
Dancers--
God! What dancers!
Singers
God! What singers!
Singers and dancers, Dancers and laughter.
Laughers?
Yes, laughers...laughers. laughers
Loud-mouthed laughers in the hands of Fate.
1. "Dream-singers, Story-tellers, Dancers" - These are examples of alliteration, where the initial consonant sound is repeated in close succession.
2. "Loud laughers in the hands of Fate" - This is personification, ascribing the human trait of laughter to individuals who are controlled by Fate.
3. "Dish-washers, Elevator-boys, Ladies' maids, Crap-shooters, Cooks, Waiters, Jazzers" - This is a list of different occupations, showcasing the diversity of the speaker's people.
4. "Nurses of babies, Loaders of ships, Porters, Hairdressers" - Similar to the above point, this is a list of different occupations seen among the speaker's people.
5. "Comedians in vaudeville And band-man in circuses--Dreams-singers all, Story-tellers all. Dancers-- God! What dancers!" - This is an exclamation emphasizing the talent and skill of the dancers and entertainers in the speaker's community.
6. "Singers God! What singers!" - Similar to the previous point, this line praises the singers in the speaker's community with an exclamation.
7. "Singers and dancers, Dancers and laughter." - This is an example of parallelism, where the structure of the sentence repeats with slight variations for emphasis.
8. "Laughers? Yes, laughers...laughers. laughers Loud-mouthed laughers in the hands of Fate." - This repetition of the word "laughers" adds emphasis to the idea of people who laugh loudly, reinforcing their presence in the hands of Fate.