Description of a Pear on a Pewter Dish by Young Smith

Description of a Pear on a Pewter Dish

See the blue there shadowed
beneath the yellow’s gloss.

That blue is the sky
within the cutis of the pear.

At night this sky grows dark
and unfolds a crust of distant stars.

It is these pale fires within its skin
that give the pear its taste of heaven.

Young Smith

What I enjoy most about this poem is the imagery used. Smith used the same colors to represent the three different subjects he was referring to: blue of the sky, yellow of the sun and stars, and pear seems to signify earth. Not only did he use colors but he also gave the distinction of light versus dark with the words "gloss", "dark", "pale", and "fires". "Cutis" refers to the atmosphere surrounding the earth and sky. I also like that he refers to the earth as a "pear" but it can also be considered a person. This person can only look up to see the sky and sun illuminating. Then, as the sun goes down and dark arises, the stars are the "taste of heaven". I like the idea that stars are what can be considered heaven. The fact that Smith says "these pale fires within its skin" can be thought of as people being unholy and the idea of heaven is what can revive them once again to see outside of the "cutis of the pear".