This poetry device artwork reveals a metaphor stated by Janie about Tea Cake. It is based upon the sentence-"He could be a bee to a blossom-a pear tree blossom in the spring." This metaphor is significant because in the beginning the author said -"She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes rah to meet the love embrace creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this is marriage!"(p11) In this metaphor, Janie talks of Tea Cake being a bee to the her-the pear blossom, revealing her true feelings for him. Because she has been looking for love all her life, this is a very important moment in the plot when she finally finds her love. The sentences also have personification. "Alto chant of visiting bees…panting breeze…the thousand sister-calyxes ran to meet the love embrace…frothing with delight" adding human qualities into nonhuman objects. Through sensory imagery, the author artfully appeals to our sight, touch and hearing senses by incorporating words like"saw…frothing…embrace…panting."
By: Susanna Sharikov
