Looking West from Laguna Beach by Charles Wright

I've always liked the view from my mother-in-law's house at night,
Oil rigs off Long Beach
Like floating lanterns out in the smog-dark Pacific,
Stars in the eucalyptus,
Lights of airplanes arriving from Asia, and town lights
Littered like broken glass around the bay and back up the hill.



This is a verse poem about the author's view from the destination of his mother-in-law's house. It is a simple poem, which leaves a strong impact on the reader because it's easy to visualize the scenery he is describing. Some poetic devices used are similes. In line 3, he states that the oil rigs are like floating lanterns. In line 6, he says the town lights are littered like broken glass around the bay. In this poem, the author only describes objects which are "lights". This creates a peaceful, happy mood, accentuated by the thought of tiny lights, lanterns, stars, or shimmering broken glass illuminating your surroundings.