SOAPSUD #2
	The Old People Speak of Death, by Quincy Troupe, was a fairly interesting poem to read. The poem revolves around the cycled of life and death. Quincy Troupe used imagery and symbolism to help the reader understand the theme. The theme used, is something that is or will be related with everyone. The speaker in The Old People Speak of Death is the poet, Quincy Troupe. You can tell Quincy Troupe is the speaker because in the poem, there is “my grandmother would speak of death.” The Old People Speak of Death was written to brighten up the day for an old person. Since the old are closer to death than any other, they have a limited of time left. Everyday, old people speaker or think about how death will be. The theme will help the old to feel better. The purpose of this poem is to tell old people they will not be forgotten when they die. After they die, something of theirs will keep on living as if they were still alive, that is the theme of the poem. “but green branches will grow from these roots darker than time and blacker than even the ashes of nations sweet flowers will sprout.” Even though the old will one day die, they will somehow keep on living, even if it is in someone’s memories. A symbol use in The Old People Speak of Death is the life cycle of a flower. It is symbolic because a flower, fore example is born, it is then admired, and it dies. Just like a person. Troupe also uses imagery to help the reader understand the theme. The diction of the poem is warm. Since the poem revolves around death, it is serious. What also helps to make it warming is the theme. The bottom line is the poem was written to brighten up the day for an old person. The theme is even though if someone dies, they will somehow keep on living in someone’s memories or through their offspring. In conclusion, I found The Old People Speak of Death, by Quincy Troupe, to be fairly interesting. What I like about the poem is that Quincy Troupe used imagery and symbolism.