Life

The speaker in Madgett’s poem is a third-person removed narrator; they never formally introduce themselves or share any direct personal information. Rather, in the first line, they attempt to make the concept of “[l]ife” (Line 1) more approachable for the reader via metaphor. The metaphor compares life with “a toy” (Line 1). Comparing life to something as insignificant as a child’s toy trivializes the notion of life, making it less complex and obscure. However, the toy “swings on a bright gold chain” (Line 1). The swinging motion correlates with the oscillating quality of life, sometimes reaching high points with celebrations and successes, and sometimes reaching low points with failures and losses. The specific description of the toy on a gold chain then creates an image of a pocket watch or necklace, both personal items belonging to someone. These items are also expendable; they are not necessities for an individual.

The exact nature of this “toy” (Line 1) becomes clearer for readers when they reach the second line. The speaker describes the object as “[t]icking” (Line 2). Putting the pieces together, that the object described has a long chain, is gold, and ticks, readers can therefore infer that the item is indeed a pocket watch.