What poetic devices are used in the poem "Taught me Purple" by Evelyn Tooley Hunt?

The
poetic devices that are used in the poem "Taught me Purple" by Evelyn Tooley Hunt
include:

Stanzas

This poem is
divided into three stanzas of four lines each. A stanza is a unit or a grouping of lines. A
stanza typically focuses on making one point or observation. The poem then moves on to another
stanza, which in turn focuses on making another point or observation.

In
€˜Taught me Purple, the poet talks of her mother teaching her purple in stanza 1; of her mother
teaching her golden in stanza 2; and of her mother reaching for beauty in stanza 3. Three
different points and observations here.

Rhyme

Evelyn Tooley Hunt employs rhyme
in this poem. The rhyme scheme is abab in stanza 1; cdcd in stanza 2; and efef in stanza 3.
Essentially, in each stanza, line 1 rhymes with line 3 and line 2 rhymes with line 4.

Contrast

The poet uses contrast to make
a point about her mothers existence. She says that her mother taught me purple but that her
mothers way of life was wash-grey. This is a contrast of the richness of the color purple with
the drab and dreary color of wash-grey €“ talking here of her mother constantly doing the
mundane daily task of the familys laundry.

Tone

The poets tone here is one of love
and respect for her mother for teaching her to reach for a better life than the mother had. To
reach for the purple, the gold, and the beauty in life €“ the finer things in life. The mother
taught her not to be full of pride or arrogance but to be modest and look for the loveliness in
life.