The poem, Money, by Dana Gioia, talks about a subject that preoccupies the hearts of many. She describes the many names used to refer to money and at the same time gives the different emotions that money elicits. Gioia describes the satisfaction that is derived from money, while at the same time, brings out the frustration that lack of it or misuse can breed. Her poem is full of descriptions and comparisons, using common money-language that is identified with many people. Through diction and figurative language, Dana Gioia communicates and infatuated tone and conveys the theme that money is valuable but also worthless at the same time.
Gioia employs a carefully crafted diction to bring out the tone of infatuation and propagate the main idea of money being valuable and worthless. She uses clichés that are commonly used to describe money, putting all of them together in the same stanza one to show how significant money is to people hence the many names. The many names clustered in one stanza to describe a single thing bring out the tone of infatuation. For example, in verse one, she says, “Money, the long green, cash, stash, rhino, jack/or just plain dough,”(Gioia). In the second stanza, the poet chooses a group of verbs to describe what one can do with money; this brings out the infatuation with uses of money while showing its value. Stanza two states, “Chock it up, fork it over, /shell it out. Watch it /burn holes through pockets,” (Gioia). The poet's choice of several synonyms or money and various action words to describe its use makes the poem over-emphasize money and its importance, which brings out the tone of infatuation while stamping the theme of the value of money and its worthlessness.
The poet also uses figurative language to show her obsession with money and also bring out its importance and potential wastefulness. An example is Gioia’s use of personification to give money a larger than life existence. The last line of the poem declares that money talks (Gioia); this summarizes the ability of money to ‘speak' and determine one's life, which shows the infatuation with it. The poet also uses the metaphor of the feathering nest to show how money plays a significant role in people's life by offering security (nest). In this stanza; "It greases the palm, feathers a nest,/ holds heads above water,/ makes both ends meet,”(Gioia), the poet uses the image to show just how important money is thereby bringing out the tone of infatuation.
The poem, in a simple use of carefully selected words, gives money a clear description and stresses to the reader its importance and possible lack of value. The poet then uses figurative language to help the reader to picture money, its importance, and many functions which shows how much the persona is obsessed with the money while at the same time showing how important money is. Through the use of these elements, the poet has shown that the persona is preoccupied with money; highlighting the theme of infatuation and revealing the subject of the importance and worthlessness of money.
Works Cited
Gioia, Dana. "Money." Danagioia.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 9 May 2016.
