By referring closely to the text demonstrate how Norris has made the poem “The Ballad of Billy Rose” particularly vivid

"The flowers of punched blood on the ring floor,"

In the above Norris uses an oxymoron containing both the image of a beautiful flower and the horrific sight of a person's blood. Consequently the poet skillfully exploits the vision of deviant colloquation between Rose's blood and his name when he describes the blood as forming flowers. Furthermore he intimates that the forming flowers look like roses and in so doing he reminds the reader of the connotations in the name Rose. The poet therefore successfully instilled a dramatic picture of what it was like for him during the flight.

In addition Norris uses metaphors as another poetic techniques in order to enhance the poem. A particular interesting metaphor is employed in stanza five:

"A stone against the flood,"

Norris expertly uses this metaphor to compare Billy Rose with a stone, which has connotations like rough and still. The comparison is made between Rose and a stone to draw attention to his features and make the reader aware that the crowd, who are compared with a flood, separate around him the way a stream would against a stone. The use of metaphors gives the reader a particularly vivid picture in their mind and helps to bring the poem to life.

Another poetic technique that is used by Norris to enhance the imagery of the poem is the use of alliteration. He often uses it to describe a setting, like the evening he was going to the boxing match:

"sawdust summer night."

The protracted sound of the letter 's' gives the reader an image of a really hot night. The 's' sound is also serpent like and by referring to the bible the presence of a serpent means that undesirable events will take place.

Another example of Norris using alliteration to give a clear account of what is happening is when he describes Billy Rose:

"Trim as a tree"

The harsh sound of the 'tr' implies that Billy Rose is strong and hard and from the wording used the reader is left with the image that he is tall and lean. Therefore by using alliteration in conduction with other techniques Norris is able to bring his poem to life.

Furthermore Norris uses the technique enjambement to highlight the rhyme contained within the poem. This technique enables the author to run the end of one line into the beginning of the next line and in so doing adds to the rhyme of the poem. Norris uses these two techniques in most of his paragraphs to add speed and consequently make the rhyme stand out.

"From Fishponds to watch Portsmouth in the cup.

The third round, I believe. And I was filled

With the old excitement which had thrilled

Me so completely when, while growing up."

It is clear from this that the lines of this stanza run onto each other. Moreover the poet has used the a b b a rhyme scheme, which is when the first and last line of each stanza rhyme as do the middle two lines, to compliment the technique of enjambement and compel the reader to read on. The author uses both these techniques in combination with rhyme to good effect and like the other techniques enhance the drama and realism.

It is my opinion that the varied assortment of poetic techniques used by Norris totally absorbs the reader and in so doing encourages them to become involved in the poem. Having evaluated the poem I believe that the main reason that Leslie Norris wrote this poem was because of the overwhelming guilt he felt due to the injures of Billy Rose.

Gary Bannerman 3P2

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