The Cinnamon Peeler

"I am the cinnamon peeler's wife. Smell me" (ll. 45-46). "The Cinnamon Peeler", written by Michael Ondaatje, is a story of the relationship between a cinnamon peeler and his wife. Ondaatje uses excessive imagery as to allow his readers to visualize the interactions between this husband and wife. In the first few stanzas off the poem, Ondaatje conveys to his audience the power that this said cinnamon smell can hold. Towards the middle of the …

…Ondaatje wanted to tell more then a story about a cinnamon peeler, he wanted to tell a story of a loving relationship. He wanted to talk about the strength of love, the nuisance of love, and the importance of love. Ondaatje wanted to show that love is not always perfect. Love is a powerful, complex emotion fully able to take on the scent of cinnamon. "I am the cinnamon peeler's wife. Smell me" (ll. 45-46).