Point of View

The poem is written in the first-person singular point of view. The use of the first-person singular denotes the personal nature of the work, as the speaker provides the reader with direct and intimate access to their inner thoughts and emotions. Additionally, it gives the poem an air of a dramatic monologue with the speaker delivering their speech uninhibited by any other voices or characters. For the first few sections of the poem, it appears as though the speaker is addressing the reader. However, in the final section, they turn their attention toward their sister and address her directly. At this point the poem shifts from a direct engagement between the speaker and the reader to an overheard message from the speaker to a loved one. The perspective becomes even more intimate, as the poem sheds the speaker-reader relationship and turns inwardly onto itself.

The...