Cultural significance: In some cultures, blue is associated with death and mourning. Although the city scene is quite straightforward, it is obvious that the speaker is attaching significance to it. Finally, the saxophone can also be seen as a symbol of individuality. The narrator is curious to know how it is to be dead but when the dead person opens his mouth to talk, a ball of yellow light comes out of his mouth and burns a whole through the ground. Peggy also asks Saint Patrick to make Florence believe that they will live forever, shielding her from the pain of knowing that one day everyone will die. The Man with a Saxophone - DJ Octopuz & Brian Radebe Main Mix Unlocking the Meaning Behind the Poem: What Is The Central Topic? For example: Sign up to unveil the best kept secrets in poetry. She said that her given name reflects a scandalous affair my mother had with a Japanese man she met at a streetcar stop and has no wish to be identified for all eternity with a man she never knew. This is the first indication that someone other than the speaker is awake in the entire city. Her realitiesvery small onesare so intolerable that we fashion female myths to express our fear of her. In this instance, the poet is implying that they would like to possess abilities like that of a shaman or someone with access to both good and bad spirits, as well as those of someone who can go into trance (as the speaker implied they were doing), perform magic, and engage in healing. Furthermore, the saxophone can also be seen as a symbol of rebellion. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. They provide some reasoning for this dark and determined outlook in the following lines. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Contributor of articles and poems to magazines, including American Poetry Review, Antaeus, Caprice, Paris Review, Poetry, Ms., and Zone. She includes first-person accounts in her work, many of which have earned praise. The killing of the snake is important because in this context, it shows that Peggy is done with letting men ruin her life and will live independently from that point on. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Gale, 1998. The man is homeless or living in terrible poverty based solely on the first line of the description. Accessed 1 May 2023. Even though she knew it was a sin, she could neither control herself or the circumstances under which she got pregnant. When Ai was asked why she thought her work was so edgy and dark, Ai stated that violence is an integral part of American culture (Farnsworth). They are paying close attention to their surroundings. They are giving readers a view of New York that they have probably never had beforeone in which the city is deserted, silent, and sleepy. For example, the title Saxophone may initially suggest a focus on music or entertainment, while the poem itself may address more serious or philosophical themes. The speaker in this passage seems to be saying that the only thing they have to walk the earth with is their isolation. Repetition: The repetition of certain phrases, such as in the night and the saxophones cry, creates a sense of rhythm and reinforces the mood of the poem. Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry.