Point of View

The poem uses a close first person point of view. That means that the entire text is narrated from the perspective of one character, the speaker. We learn relatively little about him – the poem remains focused enough on a single subject that we do not get an especially expansive view of his character – but nonetheless he is the central perspective that readers are given through which to understand the narrative. The poem is also in present tense, meaning that it is narrated as though it is happening moment to moment.

The use of these two narrative techniques, first person point of view and present tense, create a sense of immediacy and directness in the work. Especially in concert, they give readers a sense that they are learning abut something that is really happening, as it is really happening. For a poem with such a distinctive...