Analysis of Richard Kenney's Aubade

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An aubade is a poem that greets the dawn and characteristically involves the parting of lovers. This particular aubade describes an everyday morning in the life of the speaker, who seems to be going to work or has some other task which requires him to be up at five o'clock. Its so early in the morning that it is still dark outside, and he can see the stars and the moon still bright in the sky. The temperature outside is freezing, which contributes much to the way he describes things in the poem. This is a very lyrical poem. The speaker's emotions and intentions are made very clear in very inconspicuous ways. The subtle repetition of certain words and images give the poem a very distinct tone. For example, the repetition of the words "cold" and "brittle" in the description of the grass and the car seats is interesting. It adds an element of fragility or ephemerality to the poem. The prevalence of cold imagery is also remarkable. The cold setting seems to freeze not only the grass, but the moment in time at which the speaker is in. The icebox 'full of lightness of air' could be an ...

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