Running on Empty free essay sample

An analysis of the poem Running on Empty by Robert Phillips. The poem describes a young person, probably a college freshman, discovering what it is like to be on his own. The paper discusses how this theme is carried throughout the poem and how it is reinforced through the many traditional structural elements such as metaphor, symbolism, simile and characterization. The poem is using a blank verse form commonly used by the romantics. The technical or structural elements used in this poem include metaphor, symbolism, simile and characterization. Characterization is used in the poem as a way for the reader to identify with the theme. By establishing a character, the author gives the reader insight into what a young teenager experiences through memories of their own experiences.