I chose the poem by Lauren K. Alleyne, Nothing to Declare, because it discusses a topic that matters to anyone, not only to the poet. The poem features the theme of moving to the next stage in life, which is a relevant topic for all people. Alleyne shows that when people have nothing to regret or hide, they progress.
The narrator is passing the registration procedure at the airport, and it makes her think about the things she takes with her to the new location and life stage. The poem’s tone is melancholy, and it emphasizes the narrator’s sentiments at the moment that most people might understand.
She acknowledges that memories of her home, family, and the things she loves are always with her, and she does not need to declare them. The author uses such means of literary expression as imagery, symbols, and tone to convey the idea that people’s memory is the most precious thing that constitutes their personality.
Alleyne uses imagery to make the description of her experience vivid and persuasive. For example, she describes her way to the airport as entering “the dim world of the taxi,” in which she is “escorted by smooth jazz and a battalion of street-lights.”
The author’s image is typical for the evening trip from the city to the airport, which allows the readers to see themselves in this description. The critical detail is that this image of the taxi trip is multi-dimensional, and the audience can watch the city lights and hear the relaxing music with the narrator.
Therefore, concentration on the physical sensations of the narrator is an effective way to share the experience with the readers that Alleyne uses in images.
The airport is the main symbol in the discussed poem, and it signifies the moment of transition from the old life to the new one. The idea that the individual should have no debts to start a new life is most meaningful to me.
The following lines reflect this message metaphorically: “You have no trouble knowing what to do with your empty hands.” It is possible to make parallels between the symbolic passage through the gate in the airport with empty hands and moving to another place. When the person cannot leave feelings, problems, or obligations behind, they are not able to go to another level with new opportunities.