Lilly's Poem Project

The Speaker

The speaker in "Beach Orchestra" is a narrator that is spectating the beginning of a storm at the beach. The words that were spoken throughout the poem such as "Booming crashing...more more more" (3) lead me to believe the narrator is a child. I think someone young would be more likely to say "more more more" to describe something that keeps happening rather than an adult. "The waves are racing" (1) is also a childish and imaginative way to perceive crashing waves.

Example: "The waves are racing" (1).

Person-

ification

Personification is used in "Beach Orchestra" so the reader can get a more detailed visual of the ocean. "The waves are racing" (1). The reader is better able to picture rapid waves ripping through the sea. The personification of waves is also used to add a sense of fun to the poem amidst the storm.

Example: "Booming waves/Biting wind" (11, 12)

Alliteration

Alliteration is used in this example to grab the reader's attention. The words booming and biting especially appeal to the reader's senses. Rather than a visual, Fil Bufalo draws attention to these particular words to make sure the reader can experience the full effect of witnessing the beach in turmoil before the poem ends.

Example: "Boom crash crunch crunch" (5).

A variety of onomatopoeia is used throughout the poem "Beach Orchestra" to give the reader a strong sense of whats happening, particularly through the ears. Onomatopoeia makes the poem more interesting, and without it, this poem wouldn't be the poem I would use for this project. The poem is titled "Beach Orchestra" after all.

Onomato-poeia

Example: "Booming crashing...more more more/Boom crash crunch crunch" (3, 5).

Poetic License

Fil Bufalo breaks the rules of grammar to allow the reader to embrace the true nature of the storm. Using poetic license is a powerful way for Fil to let the reader experience the storm more freely, opposed to having "The waves boom and crash, and the sand crunches. It gives the overall poem a more raw feeling.

Example: "Sandcastles toppling/umbrellas whisking by" (7, 8)

Imagery

Imagery is used to enhance the visual of the poem in the reader's mind. After describing the sounds in the poem with great detail, Fil Bufalo uses imagery so the reader can get a more well rounded view of the poem.

Theme

The theme of "Beach Orchestra" is that you can turn something that may seem frightening into an enjoyable experience. Even though a storm or the loud sounds that go along with them may be scary or threatening, the narrator still found a way to appreciate the orchestra that forms before a storm. "I march to the beat" (6). Among the dangers of being blown away, or perhaps whisked out to sea, the narrator can still enjoy the tune of the waves. When things seem scary, looking at things in a different perspective can shed some light onto the situation or even make it enjoyable.

Example: "crunch crunch" (5).

Repetition

The word crunch is repeated to show the narrator is taking a step. By taking these steps, the narrator is adding her own sound to the music. This use of repetition helps the reader imagine the song being played by the orchestra of natural events.

Example: "Booming crashing...more more more/The sand is crunching beneath my feet/Boom crash crunch crunch" (3, 4, 5).

Diction

Fig Bufalo's choice of words shows that they used informal diction. Informal diction is used so the reader can better hear the sounds being made at the beach. When the word is introduced outright, it helps the reader immediately hear the sound trying to be made.

The mood of the poem is vigorous, but mellow at the same time. A storm can be a dangerous and powerful thing, which is why the narrator saying "Let the storm begin" (14) makes the poem feel empowering. Being able to march along to the signs of danger can give the reader a sense of strength. The mood of the poem seems vigorous because of the destruction that is only beginning to occur: Yet the mood also seems mellow, because a child being able to find a song through the brewing of a storm is so pure. It almost makes the tune seem dulcet.

Mood