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Marianne Moore Silence

Decent Essays

The poem “Silence” by Marianne Moore uses abstract diction to describe the character of superior people. Throughout the poem, a person is recollecting the words once used by their father to describe the character of superior people. Superior people, according to the father, are “Self-reliant like the cat--- / that takes its prey to privacy,” (5-6). They do not parade their business around for all to see. “They sometimes enjoy solitude,” (8), meaning they know the importance of time alone. This verse can also mean that superior people do not feel the need to be surrounded by people at all times, unlike an insecure person who takes pride in the amount of people in their circle. The father’s words then go on to describe superior people as ones

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