Throughout history, poets had experimented with different forms of figurative language. Figurative language allows a poet to express his or her meaning within a poem. The beauty of using the various forms of figurative language is the ability to convey deep meaning in a condensed fashion. There are many different figures of speech that a poet can use such as: simile, paradox, metaphor, alliteration, and anaphora. These examples only represent a fraction of the different forms, but are amongst the most well-known. The use of anaphora in a poem, by a poet, is one of the best ways to apply weight or emphasis on a particular segment. Not only does an anaphora place emphasis, but it can also aid in setting the tone, or over all “feel” a reader receives from a poem. Poets such as Walt Whitman, Conrad Aiken, and Frances Osgood provide poems that show how the use of anaphora can effect unity, feeling, and structure of a poem. The term “anaphora”, by definition, is the repetition of the same word or phrase throughout a work or section of work (Longman 1435.) The anaphora can aid in the overall repetition or rhythm of a poem. It is evident that the repetition or rhythm of a poem effects the emotions of the reader. Since an underlying goal of poetry is to convey a message in a small amount of words, rhythm adds to the intangible volume of the poem. It is amazing the amount of meaning that a talented poet can compact inside of a single line or stanza in a poem. The use of anaphora is also popular in many religions. Various scriptures and holy texts contain lines of repetition and utilize the use of anaphora. There are also different mantras, or rhythmic chants, used by spiritual practitioners worship, or even reach a heighten... ... middle of paper ... ...is used for the unity of the workers. In Aiken’s “All Lovely Things,” the anaphora is used in setting the tone. In Osgood’s poem “Call me pet names,” the anaphora is used to aid in the structure. The use of anaphora as shown can be used for many different purposes. All of which are very important to the enjoyment and fluidity for the reader. Works Cited Drury, John. The Poetry Dictionary. Cincinnati, Ohio: Story Press, 1995. 21-24. Osgood, Frances. “Call me pet names.” The Poetry of American Women. Emily Watts. University of Texas: Austin, Texas. 1977. 106-107. Roberts, Edgar and Zweig, Robert. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. 5th Compact ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 583-590. Whitman, Walt. “I Hear America Singing.” Anthology of American Poetry. George Gesner. Avenel Books, New York. 1983. 262-263. Print
The use of anaphora is prominent in the poem as each stanza is initiated with the same or similar phrase. The second through eighth stanza begin with the words, “I see them,” this is to show the speaker’s sympathy for the slaves and the horrible lives they were given. He feels as if he is his great-grandfather and is responsible for the abhorrent crimes he committed. Berry then changes the phrasing to, “I know” signifying that he empathizes with the slaves, finally saying, “I am” showing that he feels similar to a slave. This anaphora shows the struggle of being a descendant of an evil person, the speaker’s inner demons make his life full of shame and guilt for the actions of his ancestors.
Poetry conveys emotions and ideas through words and lines. Long Way Down gives the story about a boy named Will, who wants to avenge his brother. He believes that a guy named Riggs killed his brother. He takes his brother’s gun and leaves his family’s apartment on the eighth floor. On the way down the elevator, he is stopped at each floor and a ghost from his past gets on.
From the very first word of the poem, there is a command coming from an unnamed speaker. This establishes a sense of authority and gives the speaker a dominant position where they are dictating the poem to the reader rather than a collaborative interacti...
Figurative Language in used throughout poems so the reader can develop a further understanding of the text. In “The Journey” the author uses rhythm and metaphors throughout the poem. “...as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of the clouds..”(25-27). The author compares the star burning to finding your voice. Rhythm also develops the theme of the poem because throughout the story rhythm is presented as happy showing growing up and changing for the better is necessary and cheerful. In “The Laughing Heart” the author uses imagery and metaphors to develop the theme throughout the book. “There is a light somewhere. It may not be much light but it beats the darkness”(5-7). Always find the good out of everything, even it
Fife’s poetry uses modern language with wording clearly understood by her audience. This approach of using simple, modern language gives the interpretation that Fife is wanting to attract a youth audience, or young adults to read her poetry. Strong imagism is a concept that is used in all three of the poems. This concept of imagism is used to make the reader feel empathy towards the characters within the poem as well as give the reader a vibrant image of what is happening to said characters. In her poem “This is not a Metaphor” it is said:
In this poem called “Creatures” by the author Billy Collins there are three examples of figurative language helps convey the meaning that the author Billy Collins is conveying. The three examples of figurative language that the author Billy Collins uses are a metaphor, enjambment, and imagery. These three examples of figurative language help illustrate Billy Collins” theme in this poem called “Creatures” that he is writing because these three examples of figurative language help emphasize the theme of the poem. These three examples help emphasize this poem called “Creatures” meaning because it makes the theme of this poem have a deeper meaning. The theme of the author Billy Collins poem called “Creatures” is that the reader has to imagine
For example, the metaphor; “Every breaths a gift, the first one to the last” (28). The use of this metaphor is to treat every day and breathing moment of your life as a gift. Therefore, your life should not be taken for granted and it is precious. Another poetic device is this lyric, “I believe that days go slow and years go fast” (27), this line is a form of paradox. This form of poetry is used to explain how the long days contradict the fast years and to cherish them. Life goes by in the blink of an eye, and it could have been wasted by regret, not making amends with people once trusted (forgiveness), and holding resentment. In addition, assonance is used frequently, for example, “I believe most people are good” (7) uses o’s is to elongate the sentence and create a slurred, calm feeling when the chorus is sung. Euphony is used in the lyric; “I believe them streets of gold are worth the work” (14), which creates a harmonious tone. The similar words “worth and work” sound the same so the sentence flows better together creating harmony. Finally, there is rhyming in most of the verses’, one of the examples is; “I believe we gotta forgive and make amends” (3), with “ ‘Cause nobody gets a second chance to make new old friends” (4). The rhyming of “amends and friends” aide the verse to become catchy which helps listeners enjoy the
These poems represent the idea of allusion by symbolizing the need for poetry. For example in sentence 9 of Introduction to Poetry he uses allusion to demonstrate there is a dream or accomplishment he wants to do with "his students". In sentences 16-19 of Trouble with poetry, he also uses allusion because it looks like he has an idea in mind and has plans set ahead.
Most of students who study literature have experienced a trouble when they understand poetry. There are many genres in literature; poem, novel, drama, myth and so on. Generally, people do not have a difficult comprehension of a variety of literary genres except poem. In case of poem, even people read a poem, they do not understand what that means perfectly. Because, unlike other genres of literature, poetry consists of short sentences. Some of poems are not made up of grammatically correct sentences. Also, poetry has implications. Sometimes, the words a poet use have a different meaning, unlike original meaning. A figure of speech helps expression of topic of a poem more effectually. Theme relates to a mood and is an important clue what the poet want to say. Both “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” and “Because I Not Stop for Death” have a theme of death. Compare and contrast the figure of speech and the theme of death in the poem Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” and Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could Not Stop for Death” in this research paper.
In the poem pride, Dahlia Ravikovitch uses many poetic devices. She uses an analogy for the poem as a whole, and a few metaphors inside it, such as, “the rock has an open wound.” Ravikovitch also uses personification multiple times, for example: “Years pass over them as they wait.” and, “the seaweed whips around, the sea bursts forth and rolls back--” Ravikovitch also uses inclusive language such as when she says: “I’m telling you,” and “I told you.” She uses these phrases to make the reader feel apart of the poem, and to draw the reader in. She also uses repetition, for example, repetition of the word years.
Toni Morrison was the first African American author to win the Nobel peace prize for literature. Morrison is known to write a lot of text in older times when white and black people still had a lot of growing to do in society together. Her text, “Recitatif”, is a good example of the struggles some people have to accept people of different color. In this story the narrator and main character Twyla gives us an insight on her life experience from the orphanage to her adult years beginning to see the true colors of society. With symbolism and figurative language “Recitatif” helps the reader to identify the racial tension and racial identity struggles that occur in this text.
By using onomatopoeia, description, and dialogue each poet argues their subject or theme. Although each poet does not write about the same subject or theme they each use the literary device effectively to help support their poem. By using each literary device in different context the poets show the many different styles when writing poetry. Each poet uses the literary devices efficiently to help their overall message in each poem.
Throughout the poem and particularly in the first stanza, Heaney uses a wide range of literary devices such as intense imagery or sensory imagery, exceptionally meaningful metaphors and alliteration.
While among other literary devices used in this poem, imagery creates the biggest impact due to the fact that it is the most prevalent literary device in this poem. Imagery uses words and/or phrases that appeal to the senses to create a mind-blowing
Anaphora is repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Edgar Allan Poe used this method throughout almost all of the poem to help shape his theme. For an example, he starts off a couple times by saying “As others” or “From the”. He uses and repeats these