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Figurative language in a literary work
Essay about figurative language
Essay about figurative language
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In the poem “David” by Earle Birney there are a few themes. The major theme in the poem is life and death. For starters, the tone in the poem is a very bitter one, especially when David asks Bob to push him off the cliff. Furthermore, the poem is written in free verse style and often uses imagery in its description. The poems use of figurative language and poetic devices are used to create tension, complication and emotion. What makes this poem serious is the fact the verses in this poem do not follow the same rhyming scheme. The poem uses imagery with symbolism to help paint a better picture. For example, in contemplating killing the bird that has a broken wing, Birney shows that everyone is capable of getting hurt. Plus when David kills the
bird it represents David’s refusal to be injured and useless especially when he says “Could you teach it to fly?" (Birney, 64). David’s refusal to be useless comes to forefront when he wants Bob to push him off the cliff because he’s paralyzed. In addition, the goat’s bones symbolizes the danger which is always present in life. Birney use of simile is used to create powerful imagery. For example, “An overhang crooked like a talon” (Birney, 39-40) symbolizes the danger the mountain gives off. The metaphorical images: “Muscles, and mountains for David were made to see over” and “Stairs to the valleys and steps to the sun’s retreats” (Birney, 7-8) relates to life. The mountains are the obstacles in life in which one must overcome. The stairs bring to mind the chances to overcome the barrier. The sun setting shows missed opportunities. Overall, when David is faced with the fact that he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life, he ends up preferring death over being paralyzed. Mainly, because mountain climbing was what he thought his life was all about. Thus without that ability, David can’t find reason to continue living.
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
David is a poem written by Canadian poet Earle Birney. The poem’s namesake, David, is a surveyor climbing the mountains with his friend, Bobby. Birney portrays him to be proficient, courageous and pragmatic.
He tries to explain that in order to be happy, one must put himself in other people's shoes, to know that there is another world that you must enter that revolves around another individual. A person must learn that he must look at both sides of the road before crossing the road of judgment. Meaning that a person must think twice before judging someone due to the fact that you are incapable off reading other people's minds thus you cannot make a judgment about how tough their lives are and the daily hardships that they have to put up with. Before you start complaining about how long the line at the store is, realise that you are not the only person waiting in line and that there are other people waiting in line too just like you are. David uses plenty of metaphors and examples in order to further explain to the audience his statement. One example he uses in the beginning of the story is the fish example, where two young fish meet an older fish who asks them "how is the water", the two young fish then go on to reply by saying "what the hell is water?". After reading through the story, one realises that what the author means by 'water' is that in this scene, water is the representation of life. Thus you can think of it as the older fish asking the
Dave Saunders is a 17-year-old male, working as a field hand for money that his mother holds onto for him, because she deems him too irresponsible to handle his finances. Dave struggles to gain respect from the other workers due to his young age, as they often "talk to him as though he were a little boy" (p 6). Saunders begins to consider himself a work mule; he does all the work for none of the pay or glory. He fantasizes about the day he will become a respected man. Dave feels he can obtain this respect by owning a gun. He becomes totally enamored with the idea of buying the weapon and officially proving himself a man. Simply holding the gun fills him with a sense of raw power, "In the grey light of dawn he held it loosely, feeling a sense
William Cullen Bryant, perhaps one of the most accomplished writers of the American Romantic Era, wrote about subjects which followed the precedent of his fellow Romantic Era writers. In his poems, “To a Waterfowl” and “Thanatopsis.” In “To a Waterfowl,” Bryant is addressing a migrating waterfowl as he flies south. “Thanatopsis” discusses the cyclical relationship between death and nature. In each poem, Bryant writes about nature, a subject very common in the literature of this era. Nature speaks to Bryant in different ways, as well as in different tones; the poems are unique in the sense that Bryant’s aspect of nature vary as well as agree differently in each of Bryant’s work.
This poem is filled with imagery, appealing to the sight. It gives you a mental picture of the message that he is conveying. "Look high at the gulls,"
The writing style of an author plays a giant role in expressing certain details and letting the reader become more drawn into the piece of literature. In the story summary David and Goliath, which we get from the first book of Samuel chapter seventeen verses one through fifty eight. This popular bible story expresses how a young and weak teenage boy named David can take down a giant with name of Goliath with faith in God. The use of different elements used throughout the summary such as diction, imagery, and language gives off hopeful feel because the main point of the story is for the reader to understand that anything is possible with God.
Let’s end with "The Fish" by Bishop’s imagery techniques in the poem like, symbol, kinetic, kinesthetic, and symbolize. Symbol; Expectation vs. Outcome,
The used of imagery, metrics/sound, and tone, clearly conveyed the theme of the poem and what it means. Live your life to the fullest while you can. The reason being is the death is inevitable, leaving us no hope of escape. When it is our time to leave, there is no way we can ever stop it. We destined to leave this earth, whether we like it or not.
The language he uses in his poem reflects the pain of his loss. The poem is filled with sensory imagery by the certain way he uses words and phrases. In this way, the diction appeals to an individual 's main senses. Lord Bryan puts emphasis on the noises that a person can hear as in the poem he describes the ringing of the bell, the silence and the cries. Therefore, his word choice foreshadows what will be happening in his poem. All of these are sounds associated more with death and loss indicating what the author is going through. Importantly, visual imagery is seen throughout this poem. For example, Lord Bryan uses visuals of a rosy cheek growing pale; a kiss, dew. These are all things that an individual are able to see and imagine. The repetition of “silence and tears” indicates that he is in a grieving state, this state has now become natural to him. A metaphor compares two unlike things without using like or as. Byron compares hearing his lover’s name to the ringing of a bell. This implies that women has died to him. Alliteration is also used to add emphasis to the speaker’s loss. Note the use of the harsh “K” sounds indicative of hard, destructive this resembles there relationship, which is rough and falling apart. There is also a use of an oxymoron when he says, "Colder thy Kiss".
The poem is important to Walton because it is a metaphor for the journey he is on. The albatross is all of the struggles he has overcome and the upcoming troubles he will encounter. He wants to accomplish his goals and go on a wonderful journey. “These are my enticements, and and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels...” (2). He dreams he will conquer these conflicts, which is killing the albatross in the poem. Walton is trying to climb to the top, traveling through ice and snow making a troublesome journey to the top of the hill, his success. “I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven.” (2). The poem explains his determination to reach his goals, no matter what he has to give up. “What can stop the determined hear and resolved will of a man?” (8).
The theme of “A Psalm of Life” is to motivate and encourage the reader to make the most of this life. The use of imagery adds emphasis to each message the author is trying to send. Imagery is the description of what can be experienced using our senses such as things that are seen, heard, felt, smelled, tasted or touched (Kirszner & Mandell, 2013). The first line of the poem is “Tell me not, in mournful numbers” (p. 1011), which conjures images of a large mass of sad people. “For the soul is dead that...
He begins to thrash and yell but no one recognizes what is actually happening. He is slowly drowning and people are thinking that he is having fun and enjoying himself in the water. As he is dying he looks back and reflects on how his life has basically been a lonely journey. Looking at the setting, I also have noticed that people may also be hiding the truth of what they are actually feeling like. Everyone is seeing a beautiful beach and a man is enjoying its luxuries, but to him the beach is a cruel place where his is slowly losing his life. The tone the poem has affects your senses, almost making you feel what the man felt. The tone of this poem effects the senses making a person feel what the man in the story
With the rolling hills, winding streams, and wandering sheep, Burns has created a pastoral setting in “Sweet Afton.” Burns use of imagery helps add to the reality of the poem. A reader is able to hear the blackbirds’ whistling, the dove’s resounding echo, and the lapwing’s screaming. A reader is able to see snowy feet, crystal streams, and green valleys. A reader can even smell the sweet-scented birch. Burns appeals to senses by using imagery words that create the illusion of sound, sight, and smell. Imagery helps express the persona’s feelings in his environment, enabling the reader to stand along with him in his world.
There are many images depicted in the poem, which is what ultimately draws the audience into it’s graps/ The impenatrable, life-altering consequences of death and the secrets of adolescence bring the poem to life.