The Setting In Billy Collin's 'Cheerios'

One integral component of any type of literature, especially in poetry, is the setting. A setting may include the time of day or the literal location where the story takes place to give the reader insight into an argument. However, setting is more than a mere overview of the situation; it also includes the ways in which characters interact with the audience. Serving as the foundation of how an argument is approached in the poem, setting can influence a reader’s interpretation. Thus by choosing a specific or abstract setting, the poet can impact how their voice is perceived by the audience or by other characters. In Billy Collin’s “Cheerios”, an early morning restaurant setting serves not only as the backdrop of the poem, but also as the author’s …show more content…
Although the time of day, and both literal and figurative settings assist the speaker in communicating to the audience, with such little detail it is hard to be completely certain if these these assumptions are accurate. Also, if other characters had been mentioned in the poem, the reader may gain a new perspective of the man’s feeling about age. It is worth mentioning that the poet chose to have one sole speaker and only one character in the entire poem. Perhaps the lack of other people in the poem also contributes to the speaker’s situation and thus reflects his solidarity in the restaurant. It is possible that because the man is sitting alone all morning that the poet hopes to evoke ethos from the reader. The overall discomfort of age is difficult to overcome, but the speaker’s situation enlightens the reader on the method of coping through lightheartedness and normalcy of the setting. Whether the speaker was meant to be alone as a representation of solitude in old age is up to interpretation; however, the setting is the best way for the speaker to be understood by the