Mythological Allusion

Mythological allusion is a vital element of "Seven Seeds." Bialosky uses it so pervasively because it serves as a helpful metaphor for current ideas; it also allows her to add her thoughts to an ancient debate on universal themes. The Demeter- Persephone myth provides the poet with a common basis that readers can understand and allows her to allude to a series of images and thoughts outside the restricted and relatively small world of her current work. She is thereby able to develop something more than a simple impression, something that comments on the fundamental assumptions and values of Western society. Alluding to mythology also adds a sense of timelessness and erudition to the work, although some readers may not be familiar with the myth or its contemporary associations.

Personification

As noted in the poem summary above, Bialosky sometimes imbues non-human objects with human characteristics. The two...