In the poem “A Song in the Front Yard,” Gwendolyn Brooks uses denotation and connotation to describe the underlying meanings of specific words and phrases that add to the meaning of the poem. in its entirety. Brooks uses denotation to refer to the reality of the speaker's situation, and connotation to express the comparison between the poem and her outlook on life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayBoth the setting and the title have a specific denotation and connotation. It opens with the phrase "I've been in the front yard all my life" (line 1 from Brooks). The denotation is literally a front yard with a young girl playing. She plays within the boundaries her mother sets for her. Denotation also works to lead to images. For example, the image of a little blonde girl in a soft pink dress and bows in her hair comes to mind. The connotation of the courtyard represents a monotonous and safe way of life. Interpreting their courtship in this way sets the tone for the rest of what is going to happen and expresses the speaker's attitude toward her life. The first stanza is full of a variety of connotations that immediately show the speaker's feelings toward her surroundings. . The line that says, “A girl is fed up with a rose” (line 4) has a denotation that suggests the front yard may have flowers or a well-kept garden. A rose is generally associated with elegance, beauty and true love. The connotation of the rose alludes to the innocence and simplicity of the life the speaker currently leads. The connotation also shows the hatred the speaker feels towards her simple and supposedly beautiful life. She wants more than to live simply and be a woman. The speaker has an adventurous side that is hampered by the limitations placed on her. Unlike the pretty front yard, there is a “maintenance-free and starving” back yard (line 3). This is a wild place where the speaker is not allowed to play. The denotation of hunger is a feeling of weakness caused by lack of food. However, weeds aren't really hungry. The speaker uses this word to show how voracious weeds are and take over the garden. The speaker is filled with discontent and feels trapped in the front yard. The connotation of the backyard shows the uncertainty and dangers of life that her mother wants to protect her from. The hungry grass is the representation of a frantic, disordered and greedy life. Although her mother wants to protect her, the speaker is extraordinarily fascinated by this different way of life and she desires to “take a peek behind” (line 2). . In the second stanza, the speaker has made it clear which socio-economic class she belongs to in order to give background information about other aspects of what is going to happen: "I want to go to the yard now and maybe in the alley, where the charity children play. I want to have a good time today” (lines 5-8). Calling the other children “children of charity” (line 7) shows that the speaker belongs to a higher class. This point is emphasized in order to allude to the connotations of everything the mother says to the speaker in the third stanza. The speaker always addresses her mother as “My mother” (line 11, 13). The denotation of mother is a woman in relation to a child to whom she has given birth. The connotation of choosing to call her “mother” shows that the speaker is white. Terms like "ma" or "mama" are often used with an African-American speaker, as opposed to more.