For A Poet

Cullen makes use of an extended metaphor to provide context to his entire poem. An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is carried on beyond the initial line of its use; in the case of “For a Poet,” the extended metaphor comprises the entire poem. Cullen’s metaphorical action of wrapping his dreams in a silken cloth and laying “them away in a box of gold” (Line 2) becomes the prevailing action through which all else is determined. The presence and subtle eroticism of the moth is held in regard to this burial, as is the guarded statement about hate and anger. As with most extended metaphors, Cullen’s metaphor evolves from its original use. The repetition of “I wrapped my dreams in a silken cloth” (Lines 1, 4, 7) picks up uncertainty and finally resignation with each iteration, turning the careful and sensual statement of the first line into the reserved and bittersweet lamentation of the seventh line.