The poem has both internal and end rhymes. The 1st and the last stanzas have an end rhyme scheme ABCBDEGE. The subsequent 13 stanzas have an end rhyme as couplets: AABB. However, each verse has an internal rhyme in its first half: “McGee” – “Tennessee”; “home” – “roam”; “cold” – “gold”, etc. This rhyme scheme contributes to the regularity of rhythm.
Alliteration: “marge of Lake Lebarge”; “cursèd cold”; “foul or fair”; “hurried, horror-driven”. In the first example, the alliteration makes us aware of the sound of water on the lake. In the “cursèd cold“ example, we can almost feel the gnashing of the Sam’s teeth as he talks in a freezing weather.
Assonance: “God only knows” – contributes to the sense of destiny. The “o” vowel intensifies the feeling of fatality. “In the long, long night, by the lone firelight” – the repeated vowel “o” signifies the prolonged loneliness that seems to have no end. Assonance is also present in the internal rhyme of every verse (“McGee – Tennessee”, “home” – “roam”, “Day” – “way”).
Consonance: “blooms and blows” – in relation to the cotton, the “s” consonant, at the end of these verbs, indicates the sound of nurturing wind, as well as the continuity of the cotton’s growing. “I’d often sing to the hateful thing” – the repetition of the consonants “ng” add to the eery atmosphere.
Hyperbole: “he wore a smile you could see a mile” – Sam’s smile is so earnest and joyous because he has survived the deadly cold. In a way, he survived and conquered death, thanks to his friend’s commitment. This hyperbole also adds to the feeling of the subject’s relief, after much turmoil. “Secret tales that would make your blood run cold” – scary or creepy tales; it also associates the coldness which is one of the main motifs in the poem.
Understatement: “It wasn’t much fun” – the statement which follows the description of harsh weather and coldness. It is as if the poet tries to relax, reflecting on the tough conditions of their journey. Obviously, he also wants to point out that he himself didn’t have such a hard time coping with the coldness as Sam did.
Imagery: “through the parka’s fold it stabbed like a driven nail” – this is a simile and imagery at the same time. It depicts the sensory experience of facing the cold and failing to protect oneself from it. The coldness is pervasive and lethal. This use of imagery goes beyond mere description. “the huskies, round in a ring, howled out their woes” – not only can we see the huskies in the place, but we can also hear their desperate voices.
Personification: “the stars o’erhead were dancing heel and toe” – everything is so calm and dark that only the stars seem to dance with light. The dancing stars also symbolize the gold diggers’ lingering hope which gives them strength to go on. They appear once more, towards the end of the poem. “the homeless snows” – even the snows seem dispossessed in that dreadful night.
End rhyme: There are end rhymes all through the poem (“blows” – “knows”, “spell” – “hell”, “trail” – “nail”). The rhythm of the poem, with its long heptameters, is slow and narrative. The end rhymes improve the rhythm’s consistency. The story is very dramatic, has sudden twists and turns, but it is still a story about a long voyage through cold darkness.
Repetition: “And that very night, as we laid packed tight… And the dogs were fed…” Also: “And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled, and the wind began to blow” – emphasizes the intensity of the drama and accelerates the dynamics of the heptameters, which, as lines with 7 stressed syllables, are quite narrative in character.
Metaphor: “quiet clay” – clay is what was left of Sam when he seemingly died. He is like clay because he is immobile and silent, and he is heavy to drag. It also relates to the mythological story that man was made of clay. However, in this context, it adds to the grotesque and effects of this macabre scene where the subject drags his friend who has turned into a grinning “hateful thing”.
Simile: “the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell” – the land of gold enchants him so much that he can’t help but go there, as if it were his destiny. This simile is all the more effective when we consider the fact that the land of gold almost killed Sam. It is detrimental to his physical well-being, unlike his homeland Tennessee.
What word matches best
