Question

Identify and evaluate the imagery and figurative language used in the poem “Tattoo” by Gregg Shapiro and how it relates to the meaning of the poem.

Answer 1

“Tattoo”
by Gregg Shapiro

My father won’t talk about the numbers
3-7-8-2-5 between the wrist and elbow
blue as blood on his left forearm
Instead, he spreads himself over me
spilling his protection, like acid, until it burns
I wear him like a cloak, sweat under the weight

There were stories in the lines on his face
the nervous blue flash in his eyes
his bone-crushing hugs
I am drowning in his silence
trying to stay afloat on curiosity
Questions choke me and I swallow hard

We don’t breathe the same air
speak the same language
live in the same universe
We are continents, worlds apart
I am sorry my life has remained unscathed
His scars still bleed, his bruises don’t fade

If I could trade places with him
I would pad the rest of his days
wrap him in gauze and velvet
absorb the shocks and treat his wounds
I would scrub the numbers from his flesh
extinguish the fire and give him back his life

Answer 2

Shapiro uses the following similes: "blue as blood," "protection like acid," and "wear him like a cloak." The first simile refers to the imagery of the tattoo on the father's wrist. This enforces the idea that the tattoos are part of the father's body and visually distracting like a vein pulsing beneath the skin. The second simile is a juxtaposition: protection, which usually has a positive connotation, is compared to acid, which destroys. This supports the theme that the father isn't protecting his child by not sharing his pain. Instead, the father's efforts at protection feel like it's eating away at the speaker. Finally, "wear him like a cloak" is a simile that uses imagery to describe how the speaker feels about being protected by the father. It's a heavy, noticeable presence that surrounds the speaker's whole body. Instead of feeling nice and warm, the speaker later admits to sweating under the weight.

Answer 3

you gave me the same 2 answers..

Answer 4

yep i did

Answer 5

y

Answer 6

idk

Answer 7

ugh whatever

Answer 8

both of them were right!!! @braves12

Answer 9

really

Answer 10

lol yup