Question

This is for the woman with one black wing
perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect
among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the
peasant,
who painted herself a present—
wildflowers entwining the plaster corset
her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—
this priestess in the romance of mirrors.

–“Sonnet in Primary Colors,”
Rita Dove

Which phrase from the poem is an example of a metaphor?
“one black wing / perched”

What is this phrase referring to?

How does this figurative language help readers interpret the text?

Answer 1

Yes — “one black wing / perched over her eyes” is a metaphor (it compares an eyebrow-like feature to a wing without using like or as).

What it refers to
- It evokes Frida Kahlo’s distinctive unibrow (and the dark sweep of hair above her eyes).

How the figurative language helps readers interpret the poem
- Creates a vivid visual: the unibrow is transformed into a striking, birdlike image the reader can picture.
- Links Frida to birds and to the parrots mentioned later, reinforcing exotic, natural, and colorful associations.
- Imbues her appearance with symbolic meaning: a wing “perched” suggests both protection and otherness—she is simultaneously powerful, enigmatic, and priestess-like.
- Sets tone and characterization: the image elevates Frida from a mere portrait subject to a mythic, painterly figure, aligning with the poem’s reverent, imaginative view of her.