Use of Indirect Message and Contrast in Poetry Poets must utilize many tools and techniques to create a mood or convey a thought. Metaphor, simile, spacing, form, voice, and setting are all common poetic utilities. Some tools, however, are more understated. Some of the more delicate methods used by poets are rhythm, language, and the consistency of the theme throughout the poem. One work that makes use of inconsistent theme is Edna St. Vincent Millay’…showed first 75 words of 774 total…

…showed last 75 words of 774 total…embed the theme deep into the reader’s mind. Contrast is a very effective tool in poetry. Just as clever metaphor and innuendo catch the reader’s attention and emphasize a point more authoritatively than simple statement; contrast leaves a thought with a reader long after they have read the poem. Millay utilizes several forms of contrast in “Love Is Not All,” the result being a poem that expresses distinctly that love is indeed all.