“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Introduction

• Read the full text of “Poem at Thirty-Nine”

“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Summary

“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Themes

• 

  The Bond Between Parents and Children

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-45

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Poem at Thirty-Nine”

• Lines 1-5

  How I miss ...
  ... born.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 6-11

  Writing deposit slips ...
  ... it is done.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 12-19

  I learned to ...
  ... account.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 20-26

  He taught me ...
  ... before the end.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 27-33

  How I miss ...
  ... of good food.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 34-40

  Now I look ...
  ... strays my way.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 41-45

  He would have ...
  ... into the fire.

  

  

  

  

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“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Symbols

• 

  Food and Cooking

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 28-30: “He cooked like a person / dancing / in a yoga meditation”
  • Lines 31-33: “and craved the voluptuous / sharing / of good food.”
  • Line 34: “Now I look and cook just like him:”
  • Lines 36-37: “tossing this and that / into the pot;”
  • Lines 38-40: “seasoning none of my life / the same way twice; happy to feed / whoever strays my way.”
  • Line 44: “cooking”
• 

  Fire and Chopping Wood

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 44-45: “chopping wood, / staring into the fire.”

“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Asyndeton

  

  

  

  

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  Where asyndeton appears in the poem:

  • Lines 35-40: “my brain light; / tossing this and that / into the pot; / seasoning none of my life / the same way twice; happy to feed / whoever strays my way.”
  • Lines 44-45: “cooking, writing, chopping wood, / staring into the fire.”

• Simile

  

  

  

  

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  Where simile appears in the poem:

  • Lines 28-30: “He cooked like a person / dancing / in a yoga meditation”
  • Line 34: “Now I look and cook just like him:”

• Extended Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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  Where extended metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Lines 34-40: “Now I look and cook just like him: / my brain light; / tossing this and that / into the pot; / seasoning none of my life / the same way twice; happy to feed / whoever strays my way.”

• Repetition

  

  

  

  

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  Where repetition appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “How I miss my father.”
  • Line 21: “truth”
  • Line 24: “truths”
  • Line 27: “How I miss my father!”

• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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  Where metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Lines 13-15: “bits of paper / as a way / to escape”
  • Line 35: “my brain light;”
  • Lines 38-39: “seasoning none of my life / the same way twice”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

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  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 2-3: “been / so”
  • Lines 3-4: “tired / when”
  • Lines 4-5: “was / born”
  • Lines 6-7: “checks / I”
  • Lines 12-13: “see / bits”
  • Lines 14-15: “way / to”
  • Lines 15-16: “escape / the”
  • Lines 16-17: “knew / and”
  • Lines 17-18: “school / had”
  • Lines 18-19: “savings / account”

• Assonance

  

  

  

  

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  Where assonance appears in the poem:

  • Line 13: “paper”
  • Line 15: “escape”
  • Line 22: “mean”
  • Line 23: “beating”
  • Line 25: “grieved”
  • Line 34: “look,” “cook”
  • Line 38: “my life”
  • Line 39: “same way twice”
  • Line 40: “strays,” “way”

“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Deposit slip
• Escape
• Grieved
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Voluptuous
• Seasoning
• Strays

• (Location in poem: Line 6: “Writing deposit slips and checks”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Poem at Thirty-Nine”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Speaker

“Poem at Thirty-Nine” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Poem at Thirty-Nine”

More “Poem at Thirty-Nine” Resources

• External Resources

  • From Poor Childhood to Pulitzer Prize — This article provides an overview of Alice Walker's success in the literary world as well as a discussion of her personal life.

  • Alice Walker in Ms. Magazine — A 2011 birthday tribute from the feminist publication, featuring links to Walker's stories and short speech by Gloria Steinem.

  • Biography of Alice Walker — A discussion of Walker's life and literary career, including her relationship with her father and the impact of his death.

  • The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a reading and analysis of the poem, delivered by an English instructor.

  • An Interview With Alice Walker — Alice Walker discusses her life, work, and activism.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Alice Walker

  • Women