Facing it by Yusef Komunyakaa

The speaker of the poem is a soldier returning to the Memorial of the Vietnam War, in which he has served in. The overall total of the poem is sad evident in him holding back tears as he fights back tears whilst trying to find the name of a fallen comrade. Much of the vocabulary used in the poem is rather simple, the speaker doesn't try to use complex words as he shouldn't need to too convey his feelings. Throughout the poem it is evident that there are many allusions as there seem to be two levels of experiences, the one the veteran is having and the one that is taking place within the "memorial" which also adds to the imagery of the poem. On the one side, it is very sad and dark as he is looking for his fallen comrade, and on the other, it is very dark and gloomy . Although things like alliteration are not used very often in the poem it is still able to hammer in the dread of the real war via the multiple flashbacks to the scenes of it.  

Zimmer in grade school

The speaker is obviously Paul Zimmer, someone who has not-very-good grades in history, enjoys causing trouble, and gets into fights. It's made obvious that it is in first person as the poem is set with a first person narrative. Since he does not specify as to whom he is talking to, it can be assumed that Paul Zimmer is talking to the reader.

Metaphors by Sylvia Plath

Sonnet: A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.

Metaphor:  A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

This poem is a sonnet because it portraits almost all of the characteristics of a sonnet, although it is not fourteen lines long. However, it makes up for that in the many metaphors that are portrayed in the poem, nearly every word is a metaphor for something. The poem has a total number of fourteen metaphors, "a melon strolling on two tendrils," for instance which depicts that pregnancy is not heartening.

Still I rise by Maya Angelou

The poem offers many different tones: playful and defiant, comical and angry, self-assured and bitter. However the overall tone is triumphant.

The poem’s first word—“You”—is important. The poem is clearly addressed to others. It is not private. Much of its energy derives from its bold and cheeky self-assertiveness. Clearly addressed to the white oppressors of black persons, the poem presents us with a black woman willing to speak up for herself, for other living blacks, and even for her black ancestors. The poem is both very political and very personal. The speaker is implicitly responding to decades of oppression and mistreatment. Her tone never sounds arrogant, but Instead, most readers are likely to feel immense sympathy for her further oppression.

The use of metaphor: “I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide…" strengthens that stance and the use of personification. “You may cut me with your eyes.” offers vivid imagery of undefeatable and invincible. As for allusions "Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise"  is a direct reference to slavery. "Leaving behind nights of terror and fear" is also a reference to slavery along with racism. The obvious motifs are "I rise " and "I'll rise" both act as a way to reinforce the will of the speaker.

Many of the marginal notes were very useful, however they could cover more broad literary devices such as the metaphors that are in use, "black ocean, leaping and wide;", a metaphor reinforces the power of the poem.