The Joy of Cooking by Elaine Magarrell

The Joy of Cooking by Elaine Magarrell is a poem where the speaker talks about how she will be "preparing" different parts of her siblings. From her sister, she will be cooking her tongue, which will, "grow back, Next time perhaps" to be cooked again differently (Magarrel, lines 5-6). From her brother, she will be cooking his heart, which will, "barely [feed] two" (Magarrel, line 16). This poem is an example of an extended metaphor. The speaker is not literal when she says she is going to cook the tongue and heart of her siblings. The speaker is merely stating that she influences the words and actions of her siblings. Her sister uses the same manners and words as the speaker, and the speaker says her sister's language will change again in the future. The brother on the other hand is influenced by the way his sister treats others. From the diction and tone, it almost seems as if the speaker is influencing her siblings to be rude, cruel, and vulgar just as herself. This metaphor is created across the entire poem, and it seems as though the speaker is enjoying morphing her siblings into the people they have become.