![]() So, when the poem concludes, he is telling his children to always give their hearts, and their best efforts, in service of their family.Īlexander also makes use of anaphora, or the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines, usually in succession. In this case, the speaker, who is a father, says that “your family is the court” and the basketball is “your heart”. When using this technique a poet is saying that one thing is another thing, they aren’t just similar. It is an extended metaphor that fuels this poem and gives it meaning.Ī metaphor is a comparison between two, unlike things that do not use “like” or “as” is also present in the text. The latter is the most important of the group. These include, but are not limited to, anaphora, alliteration, enjambment, and metaphor. ![]() Then, there is another connection between “heart” and “are,” the latter ends line four.Īlexander makes use of several poetic techniques in ‘Basketball Rule #1’. These three words end lines two, three, five, seven, and eight. For example, “court,” “heart,” and “get”. This means that either a vowel or consonant sound is reused within one line, or multiple lines of verse. Half- rhyme, also known as slant or partial rhyme, is seen through the repetition of assonance or consonance. ![]() Alexander did not choose to make use of a consistent rhyme scheme, but there are examples of half-rhyme throughout the poem. ‘ Basketball Rule #1’ by Kwame Alexander is a short poem made up of eight lines contained in a single stanza of text. Family is the most important thing, and one must always leave their “heart” on the “court”. They must respect both and make sure that one benefits the other. The basketball they carry on the court is their heart, and the court itself is their family. The speaker addresses his sons, telling them that life is a “game” and that as players of that game they have certain things they need to value. ‘ Basketball Rule #1’ by Kwame Alexander is a simple, yet still moving, poem that speaks on the importance of valuing and loving one’s family. ![]()
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