Bart Edelman’s “Chemistry Experiment” tells a story of a failed science experiment, or rather a failed relationship. He tells this story through use of an extended metaphor and simple diction. The story is about a chemistry experiment gone wrong but towards the end of the poem we find out that it holds more than one meaning. Edelman uses this story of a chemistry class in order to convey two stories, both underlying and literal. The speaker begins this poem by discussing a literal chemistry class through the use of simple diction. Simple diction is when the language of the poem itself is not complicated. The simple words used help convey the story’s meaning and the reader’s understanding. In the beginning of this poem, the chemistry class
