16 pages • 32 minutes read
David BermanSnow
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1999A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Figurative Language
“Snow” makes heavy use of figurative language, specifically simile. There are three similes in the poem. The first one is, “The ice looked like a photograph of water” (Line 7). This simile is simple in its imagery and almost comedic in a wry sort of way. Ice looks like a photograph of water because ice freezes water, keeping it still. The image feels very matter of fact, which is right in line with the tone of the rest of the poem, which presents the surreal, strange scene with nonchalance.
The second simile is, “When it’s snowing, the outdoors seem like a room” (Line 12). As discussed earlier in this guide, this simile supports the poem’s theme of contrasts, comparing something that is open to something that is closed.
The final simile extends the previous one, and it is actually presented as a metaphor. Near the end of the poem, the speaker says, “A room with the walls blasted to shreds and falling” (Line 15). The image here compares the falling snow to a wall that is falling apart. Ending with this image adds to the poem’s bleak feeling, and it leaves the reader with a sense of loss and brokenness.
Visual Spacing
The poem utilizes unusual spacing between lines and stanzas. Three extended visual spaces separate the three parts of the poem (the walk with the brother, the ice, and the shoveling). The first and third sections contain a single line, a tercet, and another single line. The second section contains a couplet and three single lines. Finally, the last line of the poem hangs on its own after the third section.
The three sections, then, even out with five lines each, creating balance between them. However, the extra spaces Berman uses to divide the sections enhance the feeling of stream of consciousness. This increases the contrast between the scenes, as if it were three different poems connected by imagery and a loose narrative.
Juxtaposition
Much of this guide has already commented on the device of juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is like contrast, which is everywhere in “Snow.” One juxtaposition that this guide hasn’t touched on yet is the contrast between the fantastical metaphorical imagery and the simple structure of the poem’s language. Almost every line in the poem is end stopped, and the language and syntax of the lines are simple, matching everyday speech. Yet this simplicity contrasts with the vivid imagery and metaphor of the snow angels.
Once more, the juxtaposition adds to the poem’s vividness and jarring quality. The effect is intentional because, much like the speaker's violent story, the poet intends to catch his audience off guard, subverting expectations and almost shocking readers. This is an effective way of drawing readers into the poem.
