One Is One

What metaphors are used in One Is One by Marie Ponsot?

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The title of the poem expresses the theme and metaphor of unification. Ponsot could have titled the poem simply “One,” but she is making a different kind of statement here. The word one does represent unity, but the poet, in her choice of title, is emphasizing that she is talking about two things becoming one. The phrase “one is one” feels more like a process than a result. In other words, there is the sense in the title of two things moving toward this goal. “Make us one,” the speaker demands. It is not completely clear whether she is referring to her emotions or to a wayward lover. It is clear that she is suggesting that the anger and anguish will subside when unification is successfully completed, because that is when “joy may come.”