In the Poem "I Knew a Woman," the author, Theodore Roethke, uses figures of speech, primarily hyperbole and metaphor, to reveal the wonders of a woman's body, as well as to amplify pleasures in sexual relations that the speaker had with her. The fact that Hyperbole is used to describe the woman repeatedly throughout the poem suggests that she has great importance to the speaker and also implies his attitude towards her to be of …showed first 75 words of 704 total…

…showed last 75 words of 704 total…her "lovely ones" L1. He also implies that the woman gives the speaker his youth and liberation, choosing not to "Count eternity in days" L26, instead to "Measure time by how the body sways." L28 The author uses different figures of speech from beginning to end of the poem in order to subtly depict the woman's sexuality and grace, as well as the youthfulness and liberation that she brings to the speaker through their relationship.