The poem is using a blank verse form commonly used by the romantics. The technical or structural elements used in this poem include metaphor, symbolism, simile and characterization. Characterization is used in the poem as a way for the reader to identify with the theme. By establishing a character, the author gives the reader insight into what a young teenager experiences through memories of their own experiences. Metaphor is used many times to compare the character to a car such as in line 20 where the character in the poem is compared to a stalled car. Metaphor is used again in line 11 where “the Earth’s rolling surface” is referring to the character’s emotions. Simile is used in the eighth stanza referring to the wind:

“Than anyone pushed before, the wind

Screaming past like the Furies…”

The wind is compared to the scream of the mythical Furies. In this poem, the symbolism of a car and the freedom it brings to a teenager is used to show

The feeling a teenager or freshman feels when they are first on their own, is clearly conveyed in this poem. Through the use of metaphor, simile, characterization and symbolization, the author is successful in communicating this message.

“Reluctantly: ‘Always keep the tank

The key elements that Phillips uses to carry his theme of discovering what it is like for a teenager to be on their own are defiance, living for the moment, leaving home and feeling afraid. Phillips’ poem describes someone full of defiance which is typical in a teenager. The references to defiance include the father’s tone in lines two and three,

Some topics in this essay:
Robert Phillips, running empty, Running Empty, leaving home, Doubleday September, structural elements poem, feeling afraid, feels own, living moment, elements poem, throughout poem, structural elements, carry theme, poem reader,