Poetry Hacks

Imperative

What is it? Giving a command.

What effect does it usually have? Using the imperative, like asking questions, is a way to engage the reader directly in the text. What else should I look out for? The imperative can imply a certain power relationship, where the speaker positions him or herself above the reader.

An example of how it works … ‘Ode to the West Wind’ by P. B. Shelley:

Be thou, Spirit fierce, My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one!

At the climax of the poem, Shelley tells the West Wind to enter him so that he can share in its power.

Another example … ‘The Little Boy Lost’ by William Blake:

Oh do not walk so fast. Speak father, speak to your little boy

Here the imperative lends dramatic emphasis to the need for the father (i.e. God) to talk to the boy, to prevent him from losing his way and falling into sin.

21