Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
Ehrmann seems to speak as himself in his poetry, but his speakers are not identified.
Form and Meter
Ehrmann writes in free verse, and often writes prose-poems.
Metaphors and Similes
In "Desiderata," Ehrmann uses a simile:
"Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass."
Alliteration and Assonance
Ehrmann uses alliteration in "Desiderata": "Darkened hours of despair"
Irony
Ehrmann acknowledges that there are terrible things in the world, but still ironically keeps a positive and optimistic attitude throughout his poems.
Genre
Poetry
Setting
Ehrmann's poems often don't have clear settings
Tone
The tone of his poetry is uplifting and inspirational
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ehrmann's protagonists are often unnamed, but seem to reflect himself. The antagonists are "unkind" people in the world.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of "A Prayer," is a man's struggle with difficult times.
Climax
The climax of "A Prayer" is when the speaker reveals that he is an old man who is looking back on fond memories.
Foreshadowing
At the beginning of "A Prayer," the speaker foreshadows his later struggles by saying that he has experienced "darkened hours of despair."
Understatement
Ehrmann suggests that people often understate their own value and importance.
Allusions
Ehrmann often alludes to God and religion in his poetry.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Blindness" is used as a metonym for ignorance.
Personification
In "A Prayer," the hills of the speaker's childhood are personified as being "silent."
Hyperbole
N/A
Onomatopoeia
N/A
