Figurative Language Poem 9 Operating Room

By John Reed

Coldly glinting on flawless steel under glass,

And blaring imperially on the spattered gules¹

Where kneeling men grunt as they swab the floor.

Orderlies² with cropped heads swagger like murderers;

And three surgeons, robed and masked mysteriously,

Lounge gossiping of guts, and wish it were lunch-time.

Case 4001 coming out of the ether,

Born again half a man, to spend his life in bed.

Review Questions

1. The color red

2. An hospital attendant responsible for the nonmedical care of patients, order, and cleanliness

3. A gradual increase in loudness or intensity