My thumb instead of an onion.
-- Speaker (Line 2)

Importance: This line sets the scene around the speaker and orients the reader in the poem. Its implication is that the speaker was aiming to cut an onion, and accidentally cut their thumb instead. However, this is an assumption based on subtext off the page; another interpretation is that the speaker is comparing their thumb to an onion, stating that both actions are equally smooth and effortless. Onions are also associated with drawing tears, which might imply that the pain from the cut is having a similar effect.

Dead white. / Then that red plush.
-- Speaker (Lines 7-8)

Importance: This juxtaposition of color creates a vivid image of the speaker’s wound. The first phrase, “Dead white,” is delivered in two stark syllables that end in hard consonants, like a chopping motion. The second phrase, by contrast, ends in a soft and welcoming word that suggests luxury. This shows how...