In the speaker's eyes in "Ode to My Suit," a threadbare old suit has become a loyal partner. Without its daily presence, he'd be unable to write poetry, because to write poetry he needs to be able to leave the house, meet people, and have adventures. But the suit transforms even further; he starts to see it as a body that covers his own, is filled by his own, and that takes on the struggles and joys of his own life. Sometimes it reminds him of his soul, even if he'd rather forget it. In the end, it even dies with him, and they go into the earth together. As he ponders it all, the speaker realizes that it is his thinking that has changed, not the suit. Talk about transformation.
Questions About Transformation
- What tone does the speaker take towards the suit? Does it change throughout the poem?
- How does he describe the suit? How does he use personification to bring it to life?
- Does the speaker really think the suit will "die" when he dies? Why or why not?
- When and how does the suit remind the speaker of his soul?
Chew on This
The suit and the speaker become "one" at the end. That's because they both live and die together.
Anything can transform into something special if you consider it long enough. That's the power of poetry, Shmoopers.