Adolescence

I. Rita Dove in the Poem "Adolescene" creates the mood of temptation and seduction, with implications of tension and fear, through the use of metaphors, dark imagery, sensual imagery, and similes in order to demonstrate woman coming of age.
II. The narrator is in the point of view of a young woman, who is unsure of the next stages of her life.
A. She is a fairly young woman noted through the implications of the imagery of "baby-breasts" suggesting that she is not completely developed. Since she is not completely developed and matured there is the implication that she is innocent and naive to the seductions of the world.
B. Similarily, the young woman waits in the the bathroom. This suggests she is hiding away due to fear as no one can enter a bathroom as it would seem immodest also the bathroom suggests that she is dealing with her woman body changes.
C.Overall, her description of the night and the imagary of the moonlight slicing through the blinds suggest that she is just coming to terms with the changes. They are the white light shinning through the darkness of her self- that darkness being the unknown- since she did not know what to expect before. This supports the mood that she is tense and fearful of what is to come in her life.
III. Dove uses metaphors and sensual imagery to create a mood of temptation/seduction for the yuong woman as three men enter into the bathroom with her.
A. The young woman is clearly fearful of what is to come and yet is easily seduced by the simple pleasures of what is means to be a woman. This is noted in the sensual imagery of the sweat behind the knees and alert breasts. Both imply arousal.
B. The three men enter the bathroom, mysteriously and sudden and just as suddenly leave. This entrance and exit is enticing to the young woman tempting her to "clutch" and miss that they are gone.
C. The Men are described as having round dinner plate eyes sharpened like prongs that imply their cunning attitude. Furthermore one has the sensual imagery from the scent of licorce implying they smell sweetly and are tempting. Also licorice can be black or red implying that the the men could give her passions as well as be dangers to her.
D. Overall, the men represent the temptation of womanhood as she has yet to "feel it" and yet she notices their sleek bodies suggesting seduction. To the young woman this is frightening because she does not know how to react.
IV. Rita Dove creates the fear filled seduction of the young girl going through the stages of woman to demonstrate the insecurities of girls during such a time. She ends the poem with the young girl wanting and clutching for the seduction and to her it is seen as darkness and she is unsure whether to embrace darkness-she is at the edge"-and she is left uneasy and unsatified-"ball of fur on tongue"- implies uncomfortable and unsure.