Analogy in “To a Daughter Leaving Home” by Linda Pastan

An analogy refers to a linguistic expression that compares one thing to another to make a comparison and clarify meaning. As a result, poets often employ analogies when they want to establish a resemblance between two factors. The following essay recounts how Linda Pastan uses analogies in her poem, “To a Daughter Leaving Home,” suggesting that her style is critical in delivering her message and delivering an emotional appeal.

The poem’s first line illustrates an analogy where the author remembers teaching her daughter how to ride a bicycle. This statement reflects a mother’s memory of teaching her daughter the values of life and how to succeed in the outside world. However, in the third line, the author also describes that her mouth was rounded in surprise when her daughter pulled ahead down a curved path and became smaller and smaller (Pastan). This showcases how the mother was surprised as she did not expect her daughter to grow so fast and leave home, never to return.

In the fourth line, the author reports that she waited for the thud of her daughter’s crash while she sprinted to chase her. This means that the mother was not confident that she had done an excellent job and was waiting for an issue to arise for her daughter to come crying for help. Unfortunately, she did not realize her wishes (Pastan). The author states that she saw her daughter’s hair flapping like a handkerchief waving goodbye in the last line. This line suggests that her daughter was not coming back anytime soon as she was comfortable with where she was heading despite her anticipations. These analogies play a crucial role in ensuring emotional effects.

Work Cited

Pastan, Linda. “To a Daughter Leaving Home.” The Library of Congress, 2021, Web.