Jaime Reynoso

1/27/17

Period (7)

Figurative Language Analysis

I this poem, The Cremation of Sam McGee, the narrator and Sam McGee are going to a trip for

gold. In the ride Sam McGee gets sick and wants to say good bye, then the narrator tied him on the sleigh

and the condition was getting worse, He hated pulling Sam McGee to the Crematorium. Finally the

narrator finds the Crematorium, the puts Sam McGee in it. After a while, he checks on the burning body,

and he finds Sam McGee talking to him. In this poem of The Cremation of Sam McGee, the author uses

Personification, Hyperbole and Simile so the reader can feel the emotions in the poem and to create an

image in your mind when reading the poem.

In this poem, the author uses similes to engage the reader. One example of an simile (in stanza 2)

is Gold seemed to hold him like a spell. This is a Simile because the author compares land of gold to a

spell using the word like. This means how Sam McGee would risk anything to be rich. Another

example of an Simile (in stanza 3) is Talk of your cold! through the parkas fold it stabbed like a driven

nail. This is an example of a simile because the author compares cold to driven nail. This Simile means

how it's freezing that it feels like you're getting stabbed by a driven nail. The author uses Similes in that

way, so he can engage the reader.

Another figurative device that the author uses is Personification so you can picture imagery in

your mind. One example of Personification (in the 4th stanza) is stars oerhead were dancing heel and

toe. This is an example of a Personification because stars can really dance, the author gave human

characterization to the stars. This Personification means that the stars in the sky cant really dance like we

humans and animals can, they arent able to move themselves so they can try to dance. Another example
of Personification (in the 11th stanza) is the furnace roared. This is an example of a Personification

because the furnace cant roar, the author gave human characterizations to the furnace. This

Personification means that the furnace cant really roar like us mammals. The author used Personification

in that way, so the author can create an imagery in your head.

The author also uses Hyperbole so he can express how things are, so you can imagine how Sam

McGee and the Narrator feel. An example of a Hyperbole (in stanza 2) is Hed sooner live in hell. This

is an example of an Hyperbole because it is exaggerating about how cold it was. This Hyperbole means

by when he says, Hed sooner live in hell he means that he will sooner will live in the freezing weather,

cold enough for someone to die. Another example of a Hyperbole (in stanza 14) is he wore a smile you

could see a mile. This is an example of an Hyperbole because it is exaggerating about how you can see a

smile in a mile away. This Hyperbole means that you can still see his smile no matter where your at.

That's how the author used Hyperbole in this poem so he can express how things are.

In conclusion, the poem left the reader feeling like if he experienced the poem, like if the reader

felt what the narrator and Sam McGee went through. The pictures that were left in the reader's mind were

how they hustled through the harsh weather just to get to the land of gold, also the burning body of Sam

McGee.