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English 19 Online
tyesmith18:

Identify and evaluate the symbolism used in the poem “Tattoo” by Gregg Shapiro and how it relates to the theme of the poem.

SmokeyBrown:

I'd actually never read this poem before, but a Google search turned up a copy of the text (left side of the image) https://www.geogebra.org/m/nU2wg2dA

SmokeyBrown:

I think the main example of symbolism in the poem would be the tattoo itself. What might that represent or refer to? Unless I'm mistaken, you may be able to find the answer by thinking of big historical events. Otherwise, there's lots of powerful imagery in the poem, but I'm not seeing any other symbols.

SmokeyBrown:

Next, you'll want to relate the meaning of the symbol to the theme of the poem. What might the theme be? The author talks a lot about the suffering that his father has been through, and expresses a desire both to know more about what happened and to take the suffering away. Could this relate somehow?

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