The Centaur by JULIAN CABRIALES

Literary Device

cguidry2845 — 2025-09-22 19:16:57 UTC

The strong and descriptive imagery in "My forelong swung in my eyes, my neck arched and I snorted. I shied and skittered and reared," suggests that the little girl is imagining being part of the horse.

Literary device

jcabriales9030 — 2025-09-22 19:19:20 UTC

The imagery in "The willow knob with the strap jouncing between my thighs was the pommel and yet the poll of my nickering pony's head. My head and my neck were mine, yet they were shaped like a horse. My hair flopped to the side like the mane of a horse in the wind." suggests that the girl is pretending to be a horse

Tone

jcabriales9030 — 2025-09-22 19:21:01 UTC

Two tone words I think fit the poem are "Playful" and "Upbeat"

Personal Connection

cguidry2845 — 2025-09-22 19:23:02 UTC

This poem reminded me of how as a kid I would imagine things and act like they were true. This poem really connected this thought with "quiet, negligent riding,

my toes standing the stirrups,

my thighs hugging his ribs."

Literary choice

jcabriales9030 — 2025-09-22 19:23:51 UTC

The poet ends the poem by having the mom tell her to clean herself up. the impact this has on the poem is that it shows the end of a kids day after playing outside all day

Theme

cguidry2845 — 2025-09-23 18:51:46 UTC

In Mary Swanson's poem "The Centaur", the poem reveals the contrasting ideas of innocent childhood imagination and growing up through the use of strong and descriptive imagery like "My forelong swung in my eyes". The poem ultimately expresses that people loose innocence when they grow up but can also still have fun.