Figurative Language

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face by Jack Prelutsky

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!

1)How is figurative language used in this poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?

Figurative Language is used at times the poem in its various types (hyperbole, personification, simile, symbols except metaphor). I shall elaborate below.

Hyperbole--Used to invoke an emotion or image. In this poem, the writer exaggerates the fact that if your nose is within your ear, your brain will rattle from the breeze, this may not be true but is used to create an image in the reader of a person shaking with a nose of his/her head.

Personification--An example of personification is when the writer uses the phrase tickled by your hair. Tickling is a human action but it is hair that is doing it, this is known as personification.

Simile--An example of a simile is when the author uses the words "for if it were where it not". The author is using it to elaborate on the previous line about the nose being pasted somewhere else.

Symbols--This poem may be an allegory of a human life. We usually fail to be thankful about a lot of things and always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

2)Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

I enjoy this poem as the author of this poem makes this poem meaningful and it also rhymes well. It reminds to be thankful that our body parts, not just the nose, are placed well on our body so that we would not have the difficulties as mentioned in this poem.

Another reason I like this poem is that the author uses modern English language to write the poem, unlike many other poems which uses the “thou”s and “thee”s. Not many authors are able to compose like the author of this poem Jack Prelutsky. The way he uses language makes his poems exciting and interesting. That is why I like this poem.