Point of View

“Thank You for Waiting” is told from the fourth-person point of view using the pronoun “we”. Although the setting suggests that it is a singular person speaking, the narrative is representative of a larger body of people and their belief system; the sustained use of the word “we”, rather than “I”, enhances this oppressive tone. This pronoun is present in the first three stanzas as the speaker states that “we invite” or “we extend our invitation” to the waiting passengers. However, the pronoun then disappears and the remaining stanzas focus on the pronoun “you”. Although it is still the “we” character speaking, this puts the attention on the people affected by this belief system rather than the people propagating it.

Language and Meaning

This poem uses intentionally corporate language and the sort of specificity recognizable from rewards programs. Although the word choices are straightforward and...