Metaphor and Simile. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another. This figure of speech asks the reader to make a comparison between the two things. A simile, a comparison using like or as, is a kind of metaphor. The title “Promises Like Pie-Crust” is a simile. As you read, note the metaphors Rossetti uses in this poem.
Parallelism. Parallelism is a rhetorical technique in which a writer emphasizes the equal value or weight of two or more ideas by expressing them in the same grammatical form. Look for parallelism in “A Birthday.”
Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Rossetti uses alliteration to create a musical effect in “A Birthday.”
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In both “Promises Like Pie-Crust” and “A Birthday,” Rossetti deals with the subject of love. The poems deal with different themes and tones, however. Both are excellent examples of Rossetti’s apparently simple, yet actually quite complex, style.
Have you ever had to deny someone something that he or she wanted of you? How did you handle the situation?
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