“Bearded Barley” is a poem written by Tacoma Community College professor Allen Braden. The speaker in this poem is an observer and the audience is made up of commoners or those who under-appreciate the barley plant. The poem details the plant by describing its appearance, explaining how it is used, and emphasizing why it is strong. The central idea of ​​this poem is to convince the reader that what may seem insignificant (barley) can in fact be significant. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay To begin, in the first two couplets, the poet uses visual imagery to describe the appearance of the barley as it grows. For example, Braden uses personification by describing the plant as "proud" to convey a sense of confidence in the way it stands. He starts again in the second line "stretching" to describe the fact that he is pushing upright. The use of "arrow", "wand" and "whiskers" again helps to create images in the reader's mind of what the barley looks like. Finally, the use of the adjectives “skinny,” “golden,” and “stiff” all work to add clarity to the visual images through the poet’s language. In the third verse, the poet attempts to connect with the audience by using the pronouns “you” and “we”. He uses second and first person point of view to attempt a more personal approach by referring to the audience as the barley itself. There is a contrast between what barley needs to grow (water, soil and light) and what it gives (summer magic). This shows the plant's ability to transform something simple into something more complex. Verses four, five, and six then explain who uses barley, what it is used for, and why it is important. Braden conveys a strong sense of reliability with his diction: “The millstone, the baker, / the slave, the pulpit and the priest, / they all send their greetings to you” (7-9). It is obvious that the people he listed depend on barley for their livelihood, as it is an important part of their business. It is then explained that the plant is used to build empires and that people pray for its preservation. This is a strong statement because it shows that people rely on it so much that they are willing to put forward their religious beliefs. The continued use of the second person point of view draws the audience in again and allows them to feel emotionally connected. The tone of the rest of the poem seems to become fierce, intense, and powerful. The poet creates strong visual imagery: “When a downpour in August / bends you to the earth” (13-14). A contrast is created between the new and the old: “under the teeth of the combine, / even the blade and the cradle of the sickle”; (15-16). This couplet reflects the history of how barley is harvested while emphasizing the strength of the plant itself. Braden also achieves this by emphasizing the mythical nature of barley: “Or when a tornado drives you / passes through a telephone pole; » (17-18). Here the sustainability of the plant is emphasized again, but this time beyond measure. The seventh, eighth, and ninth couplets relate to the rest of the poem. In the last three couplets, Braden introduces the first person point of view with the pronoun “I”. He does this with the aim of completing the poem with the final relationship established with the audience (which he still calls barley). He also does this by personifying the plant: “I could have sworn I saw you / jumping on a train to the mill” (20-21). Barley is then described.