This poem uses an extended metaphor to compare poetry writing to acrobatics, likening the poet to an acrobat performing risky feats above an audience. Both take constant risks of absurdity and failure in their performances for the sake of creating something beautiful. The poet must balance precariously on the "high wire" of his craft and take each "stance or step" without mistake before capturing some element of "beauty" through his work, just as the acrobat risks death by misstep.

1. Constantly Risking Absurdity
By Lawrence Ferlinghetti

2. Simile: A comparison of two things using the words
“as” or “like”.
Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a comparison is
made between two unlikely things that actually have
something in common.
Extended metaphor: when recurring metaphors are
made throughout the poem.

3. Constantly risking absurdity
and death
whenever he performs
above the heads
of his audience

4. The poet like an acrobat
Climbs on the rime
To a high wire of his own making
And balancing on eyebeams
Above a sea of faces

5. SIMILE:
“the poet like an acrobat”
• Establishes who is being compared.
“rime”
• Def: the frost formed on a cold object.
• Acrobat could slip and fall to death.
Rhyme.
• Def: correspondence of the sounds between
words or the ending of words.
• If a poet messes up his rhyme scheme, could be
seen as a failure.

6. “to a high wire of his own making”
• Again makes the connection between the
acrobat and the poet.
• They each have their own tools of/for
performing

7. paces his way
to the other side of the day
performing entrechats
and sleight of-foot-tricks
and other high theatrics

8. and all without mistaking
any thing
for what it may not be
for he’s the super realist
who must perforce perceive
taut truth

9. “all without mistaking”
• Acrobat cannot make any mistakes or he will
fall of his rope, to death or injury.
• Poet cannot make mistakes or he faces ridicule
from his readers.

10. Taut: stretched or pulled tightly, having no give
or slack.
“Taut truth”
• Acrobat needs his rope to be taut or he will
fall.
• The poet is not allowed any slack with his
writing, his poems need to be exact, or poems
would be hazy and weak.

11. before the taking of each stance or step
in his supposed advance
toward that still higher perch
where beauty stands and waits
with gravity
to start her death-defying leap

12. BEAUTY:
• A point of understanding between poet and
reader/ acrobat and audience.
The message being sent is the same message
being understood.
• Beauty of the acrobats assistant waiting to be
caught = Poet see’s beauty and needs to
capture it in a poem.

13. DEATH:
• Acrobat:
He falls from his tight rope, or he fails to catch
his assistant (“Beauty”)
• Poet:
Death is figurative. Audience failing to
understand his poem.

14. and he
a little charleychaplin man
who may or may not catch
her fair eternal form
spreadeagled in the empty air
of existence

15. “charleychaplin man”
• Refers to Charlie Chaplin because of his
silence. A reader/audience member must
interpret the performer.
• Charlie Chaplin used as an
adjective to describe the acrobat.
• Charlie Chaplin was famous and well-liked for
what he did. Implies that the Poet/Acrobat are
liked for what they do.

16. SUMMARY:
• The poem is an extended metaphor due to the
recurring metaphors throughout the poem.
• Poetry writing is much like acrobatics.
risk-taking and fear of failure
• Public risk, other being able to see them fail.
• Taking chances for fulfilment and joy.