Michael McClure and Synecdoche in “Peyote Poem”
<p>In his 1958 “Peyote Poem”, Michael McClure describes what it is like to be on the psychedelic drug Peyote. A Peyote is a small cactus which contains the hallucinogen mescaline, with it being commonly used among Native Americans. McClure commonly uses synecdoches in this poem to help him better describe his experiences using the drug. A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.</p>
<p>An example of a synecdoche in this poem is when McClure writes “I AM STANDING HERE MYSELF BY THE STOVE… I am the warmth and it is within me”(McClure 270). In this excerpt McClure isn’t talking about an actual stove but instead he is talking about his whole body. McClure is saying that when he takes peyote his whole body feels as warm as a stove. This is an effective use of a synecdoche as it helps McClure better describe what he is feeling while on this drug.</p>
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