"Spring in the Classroom": An Extended Metaphor~

One aspect that I found to be most intriguing about Mary Oliver's 'Spring in the Classroom', was her use of figurative language, particularity through an extended metaphor of portraying her teacher as a tree. This is an exert of my essay that I wrote on this poem, but as I read more in depth in the poem, the way that Oliver worked in imagery and various dimensions to her metaphor was very interesting, very well done, and allowed the reader to visualize very clearly what she felt like during the years she had to sit in a classroom, instead of going outside to play in the spring.

"One of the most noticeable uses of figurative language in the poem is conveyed through an extended metaphor. By describing her teacher as having, “...two stone [eyes] behind glass, her legs thick...” (lines 13-14), the reader sees the teacher as the opposite of Spring. The opposite of spring is fall or winter, and since spring represents ‘new life’, fall or winter would represent ‘old life’. Therefore, by describing her teacher as having, ‘thick legs’, Oliver is equating her teacher to that of a solid, old tree. Oliver’s teacher’s name, Ms. Willow Bangs, is also a reference to a tall and sturdy tree, thus extending the metaphor of the teacher resembling the opposite of spring. The fact that Ms. Willow Bangs has eyes like ‘two stones behind glass’ makes it seem that she is removed from the students, and therefore not swayed by their hatred of her classroom. Her removed attitude and her unshakable demeanor also equates her to a strong and steadfast tree. Finally, the usage of the jackknives by the students resembles their desire to no longer have to be with their teacher in the classroom. Thus, the jackknives are used as a way to subtly hurt their teacher, much as they might be used to subtly cut down a tree."