Ode to Tomatoes — Flashcards

Answer

The poem celebrates the tomato as a lively, beautiful, and abundant part of everyday life. It shows how simple food can become a symbol of nature, joy, and community.

Answer

This is personification. The tomato is treated like a living guest who arrives confidently and settles among kitchen items such as glasses, butter dishes, and blue saltcellars. It makes the scene feel…

Answer

It is a simile that compares the setting light to a halved tomato. The image creates a strong visual effect and shows how the tomato shapes the poet’s view of the world.

Answer

The word invades suggests that tomatoes arrive in large numbers and spread forcefully during the season. It shows the tomato’s abundance and its powerful presence in daily life.

Answer

Personification means giving human qualities to a non-human thing. In this poem, the tomato is made to enter, rest, and even seem to participate in a wedding-like celebration in the salad.

Answer

This is a dramatic personification of cutting the tomato. The word murder is used to make the act of slicing sound intense and startling, not literally violent.

Answer

The phrase shows admiration for the tomato’s importance and beauty. It presents the tomato as a bright, central, and valued part of everyday food.

Answer

The salad scene develops the themes of community, sharing, and celebration. Ingredients like onion, oil, pepper, salt, parsley, and potatoes are joined together like guests at a joyful wedding.