" The Bear-men of Qolqepunku "

High up in the Andes of Peru

The Ukukus wander on

Glacier, frost and snow

Dressed in furry clocks and masks

They trek to find the mountains ice

Of sacred healing powers

The Bear-men, they are called:

In the old language of the Quechua;

Guardians of the ice

They cut the ice in solid blocks

Carried on backs, down mountain paths,

To family, friends, and livestock

Ah! Sixteen-thousand feet high, comes

A pilgrimage Qoyllur Rit i’ …

Year, after year, after year.

The Bear-men—, silently watch

Their glacier, slowly disappear

As if in thin air!...

They’ve now decide to leave the ice

The magical ice of Peru, in place

As warming temperatures rise…

This is helping the Ice Cap

Evaporate, in the 21st Century—

Perhaps this is a whisper…

“Is this the world’s end?”

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sacred healing powers ( line 6 ) - Personification of the ice.

Guardians of the ice ( line 9 ) - Personification of the ice as usually only people would need guardians.

As if thin air ( line 18 ) - Similie. The author compares the disappearance of the ice to thin air.

Magical Ice ( line 20 ) - Paradox. It seems untrue that ice can be magical.

helping ( line 22 ) - Personification of the temperature.

whisper ( line 24 ) - Personification.



I like this poem very much as it contains a lot of figurative language. Not only the language, but the content is also very meaningful and interesting. It is meaningful as it tells us that global warming is happening but at the same time interesting as they made the ice in the poem " magical".

Through this poem, i am able to get a better view of figurative language and thus, i like this poem very much.