One can always take a poem for its literal meaning and put it into the context of worldly times of today. But in order for one to fully understand the point and purpose of the author with their particular piece of work, we must take it and put it into the context of their time, environment, and position. The perception of a poem today could be different than of the poem fifty years ago.

In Maya Angelou's "To a Husband" we see the personification of the voice of a husband when she describes it as a "Fist tight in your throat." Personification is the giving of human characteristics to non-human things. In this stanza the husband's voice is personified as a fist. She then describes the voice "Jabbing ceaselessly at the Phantoms." This is taking the voice making it seem strong and vibrant. It has a clear punch...