In the poem “a Backyard Song,” Gwendolyn Brooks uses denotation and connotation to describe underlying meanings of specific words and phrases that enhance the meaning of the poem as a whole. Brooks uses denotation to refer to the reality of the situation the speaker is in, and connotation to express the comparison between the poem and his view of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Both the setting and the title have a specific denotation and connotation. It opens with the line “I've been in the yard all my life” (line 1 of Brooks). The denotation is literally a courtyard with a young girl playing. She plays within the boundaries her mother sets for her. Denotation also works to lead to images. For example, a photo of a little blonde girl in a pale pink dress and bows in her hair comes to mind. The connotation of the backyard describes a monotonous and safe lifestyle. Interpreting their backyard in this way sets the tone for everything that will happen and expresses the speaker's attitude toward his life. The first stanza is filled with a variety of connotations that immediately show the speaker's feelings towards his surroundings. . The line that states, “A girl gets sick of a rose” (line 4) has a denotation that suggests that the yard might have flowers or a well-tended garden. A rose is commonly linked to elegance, beauty and true love. The connotation of the rose alludes to the innocence and simplicity of the life the speaker is living at this moment. The connotation also shows the hatred the speaker feels for his simple life which is supposed to be beautiful. She wants something more than to live simply and be a lady. The speaker has an adventurous side that is hindered by the limitations placed on her. In contrast to the lovely front yard, there is a back yard that is “untended and hungry” (line 3). It is a wild place where speakers are not allowed to play. The denotation of hunger is a feeling of weakness caused by lack of food. Weeds, however, are not literally hungry. The speaker uses this word to show how voracious the weeds are in taking over the backyard. The speaker is filled with discontent and feels trapped in the courtyard. The connotation of the backyard shows the uncertainty and dangers of life that her mother wants to protect her from. The hungry weed is a representation of a rampant, disorderly and greedy life. Although her mother wants to protect her, the speaker is extraordinarily fascinated by this different way of life and longs for "a peek behind" (line 2) . In the second stanza, the speaker clarified what socioeconomic class he belongs to to give background information on other aspects of what will happen: “I want to go to the yard now And maybe down the alley, Where charity children play. I want to have fun today” (lines 5-8). Calling the other children “charity children” (line 7) shows that the speaker is from a higher class. This point is made to allude to the connotations of everything the mother says to the speaker in the third stanza. The speaker always addresses his 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 such as "ma" or "mama" are often used with an African American speaker as opposed to the more formal speech given by this speaker. The mother shows her contempt towards the other children by mocking the speakers' desire to play with them: "My mother sneers, but I say that.