In Robinson Jeffers' poem "Hands," discuss how the poet’s use of figures of speech contribute to the poem's theme.

Tassajara is situated deep in a mountain valley in a
remote part of the Ventana Wilderness in the state of California. It is the original
home of the native Esselen people, the native American linguistic group which is now
extinct. The Esselen were primitive hunter gatherers who lived in small communities in
the caves which the poet Robinson Jeffers must have
visited.

Jeffers's poem "Hands" is about the imprints of
the palms of these people which are to be  seen in these caves. Jeffers tries to figure
out the purpose of the imprints of the palms of the ancient Esselen people in the caves.
He is unable to figure out the significance of these imprints and wonders whether they
have any religious or magical
significance:

There’s no one to
say

Whether the brown shy quiet people
who are dead intended

Religion or magic,
or made their tracings

Jeffers offers his own
explanation of the importance of these palm imprints: He says that these primitive
imprints convey the important message that modern man should not look down with contempt
on these imprints, for they [ the Esselen ] were also human beings like the people of
today and not animals with "paws." The Esselen people praise the modern civilized man
and his technological advancements and they ask the modern people to enjoy the pristine
beauty of the Tassajara without polluting it and then after their death to become one
with the place by being supplanted by the next generation of human
beings:

a sealed
message
Saying: “Look: we also were human; we had hands, not paws. All
hail
You people with the cleverer hands, our supplanters
In the
beautiful country; enjoy her a season, her beauty, and come down
And be
supplanted; for you also are
human.”

Jeffers's message
seems to be that one should not be proud and arrogant and think poorly of one's
primitive ancestors as being barbaric and uncivilized, but to remember that in the
relentless march of civilization and progress one generation is supplanted by the
next.

Civilization and progress are only relative. One
generation of human beings is always proud and considers itself more civilized than the
previous generation. Jeffers's poem "Hands" tries to correct this wrong
notion.

The picturesque image which is related to the theme
is the phrase a cloud of men’s palms.
The painting of the palms of the Esselen people has been
imprinted on the ceiling of the cave and when Jeffers sees the imprints it appears like
a white cloud. The word 'cloud' could also refer to a modern man's perception of these
primitive imprints as being very inartistic. Jeffers means to say that the modern man's
perception has been 'clouded over' that is he is not able to see clearly and appreciate
the beauty of these imprints leave alone understand their significance as to whether
their purpose was religious or magical or just a means to while away the
time:

Religion or magic, or made their
tracings

In the idleness of
art;