the lines from The Elements of San Joaquín. Already I am becoming the valley, A soil that sprouts nothing. For any of us. Which poetic element is used in the first line of the excerpt?

The speaker says, “I am becoming the valley,” directly comparing themself to the valley without using “like” or “as.” That is a metaphor. A simile makes a comparison using “like” or “as,” while repetition and connotation do not describe this direct comparison.

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