“Shoulders” by Shane Koyczan firmly communicates the theme that differences can only be achieved through unification, not alone or individually, but collectively united as one. He conveys this point by utilizing repetition and metaphors. Initially, Koyczan uses repetition throughout the entire second half of the poem. He commonly repeats: “we can”, “we will”, “we must” and “we are” at the beginning of many lines to further enforce the fact that saving the planet can only be accomplished when “we act as one”, rather than as individuals. In addition, he employs the use of two metaphors, with the first metaphor being rain. Koyczan states that the “ground and sky love each other” and “we act as the rain” that hold them together. With this in mind,
