The Possibility

            This is a poem that seems to talk about a few different subjects but ties them all together.  James Fenton uses personification, similes, and rhyming in this poem.  His use of personification is more subtle that it is often seen in other poems.  Fenton used it while talking about the lizard, "engrossed," and "telling," are some of the words he used to describe the actions of the lizard.  To use a simile he says, "It opened like a crimson hand," while talking about the flower.  Lastly he uses rhyming throughout.  Words such as, "wood, good, be, me, strong and wrong," are all used effectively because they have the rhyming sound to them while still adding to the poem and this still gets his point across.