Analysis Of Those Places By Kay Ryan

Do we speak with a purpose? Are we using our words to make a difference? In today’s world, everyone uses language to express the way they feel. By doing this, we not only create feeling but we beautifully deepen and clarify them. It’s how we use our words; that makes what we say special. They can have a major impact on someone or something. Kay Ryan’s poem “Those Places” uses language that influences the entire course of her poem. In fact, Kay Ryan is very careful with her word choice because she knows it will be significant to the meaning of her writing. In her poem, “Those Places” Kay Ryan uses literal language to get to a metaphorical meaning.

Over the course of the poem, Kay Ryan uses language that leads the readers to believe this poem

Throughout the poem, she uses language that leads the readers to believe that this poem is literal. That is, in the first stanza she wrote “They are not imaginary but accessible only intermittently”. The literal message of this stanza is that there are real, physical destinations that can only be reached occasionally. The poet wants us to notice that instead of physical destinations, this “place” is a state of mind and people can only tap into it at certain times. Another way the poet used language to convey a deep metaphorical message was in the second stanza when she stated “Seasonal, shall we say, in the way of the exquisite high parts of Yosemite.” The literal message is very clear; this place is only accessible during one of the seasons and it’s located on the peaks of Yosemite. Based on the line, “Exquisite high parts of Yosemite”, it’s obvious that this was a subtle way for Kay Ryan to express the beauty and pleasantry of this state of mind. The word “Seasonal” implied that this feeling is only attainable for her once in a while. In brief, by focusing on the way Ryan phrased this poem, we understand that she is purposely using her word choice that seems to be literal, as a way to subtly project a metaphorical