Point of View

Lyn Hejinian's "My Life" is written from a first person point of view. This point of view is limited and can be deemed reliable by virtue of the fact that, as a collection of poetry, this works present the narrator's view on the objects and events that she addresses. Because this work is a collection of poetry, this point of view is important because it is a subjective account of the narrator's experiences and views. Moreover, this is also classified as autobiography which makes the first person point of view vital to the work. Without being written from the first person, this work would not convey the autobiographical and personal tone that is apparent in "My Life."

The story is told mostly through exposition with infrequent quotations scattered throughout. These quotations often are allusions to renowned literary figures, but occasionally, they are presented as words that...