Poem Analysis: The Race By Sharon Olds

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In the poem, "The Race" by Sharon Olds, there is a sense of urgency and desperation in the character's motives and actions. Olds achieves this by use of atmosphere and tone as the main character fumbles around an airport.

Throughout the poem, the main character is rushing through an airport due to a cancelled flight. She is later encountered by a man with a dark blonde mustache in lines 5-8, "...told me another airline had a non-stop leaving in seven minutes." Later guider with an assortment of directions; this is where the author ultimately applies the atmosphere of urgency. With a time limit of "seven minutes" and multiple directions to be followed, the reader can feel the rush the main character is portraying. "I who have no sense of direction,

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