Clothing

Brrr… it's cold out there. We need a warm coat. Luckily, Baca's poem not only gives us one, it also provides us with thick socks and a scarf for our heads. Okay, so it doesn't do this literally. But there is a lot of clothing imagery in this poem. How come? One reason is because the poem uses clothing imagery in order to get at the way that poetry can shelter us, serving like a protective outer layer that shields us from the "winds" of suffering and pain.

• Lines 3-4: The speaker tells his beloved that she should keep his poem like a warm coat in the winter. This simile works to get at the protective power of poetry. It can keep us warm and cozy, just like a coat does. 
• Lines 5-6: Here the speaker likens his poem to a "a pair of thick socks." Again, the speaker is using clothing imagery (and another simile) to suggest how poetry can keep us protected and happy. 
• Lines 11-12: Here the speaker compares his poem to a scarf to tie up around our faces. Are we getting the point yet? Poetry keeps us warm, it makes us happy, and it takes care of us. Thanks, poetry.