Kara Conlan

April 29th, 2016

Phillips

English 101

Identifying the Meaning of "You Were You" Through the Use of Literary Devices

Literary devices are a simple way for authors to convey messages throughout their work; allowing readers to analyze and interpret the text in their own way. Authors use various types of these techniques to not only make their work more interesting, but to make the overall meaning less obvious to their audience at first glance. In the poem, "You Were You," the writer, Sandra Beasley, incorporates various literary devices to explain the gradual diminishing of the speaker's confidence and control due to the presence of another woman with the man she loves. Throughout the text, the speaker expresses how she feels powerless, love and jealousy for another man she used to know through the use of diction, personification, metaphors, and structure. 

Throughout the poem, the narrator's use of diction allows readers to understand her feelings towards the man she continuously mentions. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker begins by stating "I dreamt we were in your favorite bar." The use of the word "dreamt" sets the scene of the poem, providing an understanding that this is a fantasy and a situation that she constructed in her mind. Since the speaker is essentially focusing her thought process on this man, also known as the "you" figure, it is obvious that she has some type of longing or desire to be with him. The use of the word "you" throughout the poem demonstrates that the speaker knows this man on a personal level. She continues to hint at familiarity by stating, "You were wearing your best smile/ and the shirt that makes your eyes green." The man is described in a positive way where small yet significant details regarding his handsome appearance are mentioned, showing that she pays close attention to this person and is attracted to them. Based on the diction used to explain this man, readers can make assumptions that this man could be a past lover or someone significant in this woman's life. The speaker's adoration for this man is important to recognize early on in the poem because it leads to an escalation of jealousy and a slow decadence of her confidence as she begins to understand that he is inaccessible.

Beasley's use of diction also expresses the narrator's expectations and sense of powerlessness throughout the poem. She says, "I wanted to dance. I wanted a scotch" clearly showing a strong personal desire and sense of demand with the use of "I" at the beginning of each sentence. The repetition of the word "wanted" also demonstrates that she is eager and firmly wishing that she could enjoy his company by having a drink with him. However, since she calls herself a jukebox throughout the text, the use of the word "wanted" further conveys how she is powerless in the situation and is only able to watch and want from afar. The narrator also shows the speaker's feelings for this man after she is "seduced" by another man. The speaker says "I was loyal to you," emphasizing her belief that she has a greater relationship with this man which requires faith and trust. This constructed belief increases her expectations for the loyalty she expects this man to reciprocate back to her. 

Along with the use of diction, the author also employs the literary device of personification in order to portray the speaker and the jukebox as one entity, to once again exemplify her lack of control in a situation where she is unwanted. The jukebox is essentially brought to life when the speaker says "I was the jukebox...I weighed 300 pounds/ I glittered like 1972." By comparing herself to the jukebox, she is demonstrating her insecurities and feelings of being unwanted by describing herself with the qualities of an inanimate object. The remarking of her excessive weight can correlate to how unattractive she feels as well; demonstrating that she believes she is inferior to those around her. She directly compares herself to the girl the man is with by saying she was made of "plastic" too, proving that she knows she is considered second-best to her. The speaker's lack of control is also emphasized through this personification since she is also unable to speak or move, making her seem helpless in a desperate situation. When the man figure leaves the bar with another girl, the narrator's love for him is tested. As a result, the speaker uses human qualities and states that, "The bubbles in my blood were singing," once again showing that she considers herself the jukebox in this dream. As an attempt to be independent without someone putting money in the machine, she tries to make her own music resulting in the singing of her blood. The use of the word "singing" refers to a delightful reaction she has, showing the audience her attempt to be happy again without the "you" figure in her life. However, the speaker soon goes on to say after seeing him "Kiss her all the way out the door" that "In the morning they came to repair me" similar to how she may have broken her heart in the process of being upset and jealous by the man with another girl. The "they" figure mentioned can represent any friends, family, or even medical help, allowing readers to understand that she is really hurt by what she just witnessed. Due to her need for having others essentially "heal" her, the speaker is seen as dependent as well as reliant on protection, or even a male figure in her life. 

By using the metaphor of a jukebox, Beasley is able to depict the speaker as reliant on others, old, and unnoticed. Since jukeboxes rely on money, they are dependent on the will and selection of others in order to play.  They can also be considered machines that are simply just "used" and "played." Because the speaker seems to have a past relationship with this male, the jukebox can be a symbol for the relationship going poorly where she may have been used by him.  Since the speaker is obsessed with the man in her dream, she becomes reliant on him and, throughout the poem, does everything for him including being loyal after a man tried to seduce her with quarters. At the end of the poem it is evident how reliant the speaker was as a result of her attempt to make music play on her own. Her destruction and need for repair is a metaphor for her broken heart and inability to cope with him being with another girl. The speaker also hints at the fact that she feels like old news compared to the new girl when she states that she "glittered like 1972." Since jukeboxes are old fashioned and no longer common, it is evident that Beasley is using the metaphor of a jukebox to compare to something that is unappealing and no longer in style. The speaker is also demonstrating that she is unnoticed and powerless. She says, "I played Sam Cooke for you,/ but you didn't look over once." The speaker is essentially background noise in her dream that is overlooked and less important than the girl her crush is with. 

With the use of diction, personification, and metaphors, the structure of the following poem influences the pace and tone of the text. The author uses quick sentences such as "I wanted to dance. I wanted a scotch" as well as "I weighed 300 pounds. I glittered like 1972" to demonstrate tension and drama. There is a sense of urgency and desire for what she wants, however there is also a sense of anger. The speaker is also quick to judge the other girl's seemingly fake appearance, however, she is also quick to judge herself right after. She says; "If you had asked, I'd have told you her hair looked like plastic. But then my mouth was plastic." The speaker feels inferior to the girl that the man is flirting with; an inference made through the use of quick, negative sentences. "But then my mouth was plastic" is a quick change of the speaker's thought which shows how jealousy and insecurity briefly got the best of her. The use of "I" at the beginning of each small sentence makes the poem sound like the speaker's thought process, resulting in a greater understanding of what is going on through her mind. 

In addition to the quick sentence structure, the repetitive use of "I" acts as constant comparison of what she wants compared to the powerless reality of the situation. Since the man is clearly paying attention to the other girl, the speaker makes it known what she, herself, wants. The structure also bounces back and forth between her attempts to get the man's attention to reminders for why she can't have him. For example, "I played Aretha, Marvin, the Reverend Al./ You kissed her all the way out the door." This structure makes the speaker seem desperate because she is constantly doing various things in order to take his attention away from the girl he is with. However, she realizes that it is a hopeless situation where her strength and efforts are being tested. When she says, "I played Sam Cooke for you,/ but you didn't look over once" it proves to be another example where the structure influences readers to believe that she feels powerless since she is unable to successfully be noticed.

Due to the use of literary devices, the overall meaning of the poem "You Were You" by Sandra Beasley could be easily identified. By incorporating the metaphor of a jukebox within the entire poem, the reader is able to extract extra information about the speaker's state of mind as well as how her feelings intertwine with the overall meaning of the story. Without identifying the actual significance of the jukebox, the poem would be a confusing story with a tone of jealousy. The quick sentence structure and use of the the word "I" multiple times reflects the speaker's unreciprocated desperate desire for affection of this man. The speaker is portrayed as a powerless and jealous woman who clearly feels as if she is overlooked and less worthy of the male character, in comparison to the woman he is with. The end of the poem produces the meaning behind the words by portraying the narrator's attempt to be independent- choosing a selection of songs for herself rather than as an attempt gain the man's approval. However, since she now requires a repair and needs the help of others to be healed, it is evident that she is unable to move on from her obsession for the man she loves and dreams about. 
