Summary Of Dave Matthews Use Of Imagery In Ants Marching

530 Words2 Pages

Dave Matthews’ use of imagery throughout “Ants Marching” provides the reader with a sound understanding and interpretation of his overall message. To apply this rhetorical strategy, he incorporates several extended metaphors to life with which one can connect and acknowledge. The reader can identify an example of this tactic when Matthews opens with a quote stating, “He wakes up in the morning / Does his teeth, bite to eat, and he is rolling / Never changes a thing / The week ends, the week begins” (Matthews). On a surface level, this quote discusses a common occurrence for the protagonist of this song; however, on a more profound level, this text addresses Matthews’ leading intent: people need to take the chances they still have and escape …show more content…

The depictions Matthews incorporates into this first stanza allow him to portray a scene in which a person, similar to the reader, performs a morning routine. In addition to his use of ethos to establish credibility, this quote allows one to perceive how his or her life parallels Matthews’ scene. Furthermore, the reader can identify how Matthews builds upon this ideology as the piece progresses. One can find an example of this strategy in the sixth stanza when he states, “Driving along this highway / People in every direction / No words exchanged, no time to exchange” (Matthews). Building off of the ideas expressed in the first stanza, Matthews’ use of this extended metaphor allows him to depict a bleak and doleful society to the reader. By incorporating such pessimism and desperation into his tone, he can create for the reader a direct scene into how he perceives society. Using this portrayal, the reader can then acknowledge the message that Matthews attempts to convey and begin to understand his purpose for this piece and its moral. Matthew’s use of imagery enables him to build upon his ideas and to leave an indelible mark on the reader, but without this rhetorical strategy, one would become oblivious to the several connections he makes to his

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Tracy K. Smith´s Life on Mars

    2420 Words  | 5 Pages

    As the first poem in the book it sums up the primary focus of the works in its exploration of loss, grieving, and recovery. The questions posed about the nature of God become recurring themes in the following sections, especially One and Four. The symbolism includes the image of earthly possessions sprawled out like gangly dolls, a reference possibly meant to bring about a sense of nostalgia which this poem does quite well. The final lines cement the message that this is about loss and life, the idea that once something is lost, it can no longer belong to anyone anymore brings a sense...

    Read More

  • Imagery in Edward's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

    534 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagery is one of the components that were used by Edwards to make his story more persuasive. As the short story begins, the first sentence was an example of imagery. Edwards wrote when men are on God’s hands and they could fall to hell. “…natural men are held in the hands of God, over the pit of hell…” Knowing that you might fall into hell at any moment should scare you. God decided to save you until he wants to let you fall into an eternity of burning flames. Another example of imagery is when he talks abo...

    Read More

  • Of Ants And Men: Film Analysis

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    The inspiring documentary film, E.O. Wilson—Of Ants and Men, showcases biologist Edward Osborne Wilson’s passion for preserving the biodiversity of our natural world. E.O. Wilson not only values the fascinating creatures (particularly ants) that he comes across during his research and in his daily life, but he also takes action and participates in the Gorongosa Restoration Project at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, Africa. The destruction of Gorongosa demonstrates the call for us—Homo sapiens—to realize how critical it is to concern ourselves with protecting the very ecosystems that have molded us into the complex species that we are; according to E.O. Wilson, “We adapted over millions of years to wild environments…We really need them” (CITE?). The better effort we make to understand that we are a part of this large, interdependent ecological community, the better equipped we become in not only being

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Mary Pipher's Writing To Connect

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    Piper’s use of imagery in this way gives the opportunity for the reader to experience “first hand” the power of words, and inspires the reader to be free from the fear of writing.

    Read More

  • Three Examples Of Figurative Language In Billy Collins's 'Creatures'

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this poem called “Creatures” by the author Billy Collins there is a literary device called a metaphor when the reader is reading this poem. A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things without using the words like or as. In lines one (1) through...

    Read More

  • To Pimp A Butterfly Metaphors

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    This metaphor is found through each track and helps Lamar navigate the listener through his experiences. The caterpillar represents an adolescent that consumes everything around it. The butterfly represents the talent and potential of the caterpillar. Society shapes or “pimps” the caterpillar, but the butterfly can blossom into something that sheds light on ideas the caterpillar never considered. This imagery soundly depicts the effects of America’s structural racism in the black culture. Racism has a long-lasting effect on adolescents and their future ways of life. They consume all the oppression around them, which creates a mold for their behavior. Once they experience life as an adult, they think back to their previous struggles with a new perspective or idea. This constant oppression of the black culture is a major issue in modern society. It limits the future success of African Americans and puts boundaries on what they are potentially capable of. A black child could have the aspirations of changing the world, but he will eventually realize how much more difficult his goals will be to achieve in comparison to his white contemporaries. The American Dream is built around the people of the white skin color instead of being a universal goal. Lamar puts his beliefs in the dreams of others for a better future rather than what society wants him to

    Read More

  • Theme Of The Century Quilt

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the literary techniques most prominently featured throughout the passage would be that of imagery. The author takes great care to interweave sentences comparing the traits

    Read More

  • Use of Diction and Imagery in Richard Wright’s Black Boy

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...mple of imagery is when Richard’s friends run up to him with his article in their hands and a baffled look on their faces. This shows that Richard is a very talented writer for his age and that Richard is a very ambitious person because his school never taught him to write the way he does. This also shows that Richard took it upon himself to become a talented author and wants to be a writer when he grows up.

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou’s The Graduation

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ms. Angelou's rhetorical strategy of comparison and contrast serves as effectively as her brilliant, flowing sentences sprinkled with colorful simile and imagery. Poetic phrases describing a voice "like a river diminishing to a stream, and then a trickle" or the audience's conditioned responses as "Amen's and Yes, sir's began to fall around the room like rain through a ragged umbrella" paint vivid images.

    Read More

  • What Guys Look For In Girls Analysis

    641 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some examples of metaphor within the piece are when it says “your laughter’s so melodic it’s a song” and “your creativity’s a compass that leads you to what you love”. An example of evocative language in the piece is “you don’t need any miracle cream to keep your passions smooth, hair free or diet pills to slim your kindness down.” These metaphors and instances of evocative language help emphasise the message that it doesn’t matter what you look like, the most important thing you can love about yourself is ____. Metaphors, evocative language, and repetition are also used to describe the expectations laid upon women by society. One particular phrase that uses both metaphor and evocative language “because the only place we'll ever truly feel safe is curled up inside skin we've been taught to hate by a society that shuns our awful confidence and feeds us our flaws”. Other examples of evocative language include “a reminder that the mirror is meant to be a curse so I confine her in my mind, but when he or she shouts ‘let me out!’ we're allowed to listen.” and “Don't you shatter the illusion you could ever be anything beyond paper fine flesh and flashy teeth and fingernails.” One instance of repetition includes “echoic accusations of not good enough, never good enough”. Another phrase that uses both evocative language and repetition

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of I Go Back To May 1937

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagery is a key part of any poem or literary piece and creates an illustration in the mind of the reader by using descriptive and vivid language. Olds creates a vibrant mental picture of the couple’s surroundings, “the red tiles glinting like bent plates of blood/ the

    Read More

  • The Conqueror Worm and the End of the World

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    The characters of the poem are also some very meaningful keys in showing the hidden meaning.  The first stanza describes the crowd that has gathered to watch the enactment of our human lives.  Lines three and four states "an angel throng, bewinged, and bedight in veils, and drowned in tears."  Poe is stating that a group of angels is going to watch the spectacle put on for them, although they are already drowning in the tears from plays before.  The orchestra that plays for them is another set of characters that have meaning.  They represent the background in everyone's life by "playing the music of the spheres."  A third set of characters that show hidden meaning is the "Mimes, in the form of God on high."  They denote the people that inhabit the earth.  Poe describes them as "Mere puppets they, who come and go at bidding of vast formless things."  The vast formless things are the ideas that we have.  Ideas like the things that we think we have to do for ourselves to survive and succeed.  They also make up drama of the play.  A final, prominent figure in this dramatic performance is the conqueror worm.  Poe illustrates it as "a blood-red thing.

    Read More

  • American Idiot

    363 Words  | 1 Pages

    Political issues such as the war on terrorism is evoked as an issue throughout the song. American was divided “All across the alien nation” when troops were sent to Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction. Metaphorical language was used to explore the issue. Audience positioning from techniques indorse concerns with a country divided and positions them to feel the need to cooperate and sort things out other than civil unrest and debate.

    Read More

  • Metaphors In The Final Solution

    2447 Words  | 5 Pages

    Metaphor is used multiple times, one example of this is when Remarque writes, “I think it is more like a fever… No one in particular wants it, and then all at once there it is”(206). Albert is saying that war is a fever. The boys are discussing who thinks that starting a wa is a good idea and benefits greatly from it. Albert then answers in this way because no one, he believes, would want to start something like this.Another is when Remarque says, “We are little flames poorly sheltered by frail walls against the storm of dissolution and madness, in which we flicker and sometimes almost go out” (275). In this way Remarque is able to explain in the way that the mental attacks of war make even the strongest of soldiers break some even to the point of madness. Simile is also used a lot throughout the book to describe the soldiers and the scenery. Remarque uses this device when he writes, “We fancied to be trained for heroism as though we were circus-ponies. But we soon accustom ourselves to it” (22). In this way Paul explains that they all had to romantic view of them being heros without much trouble but this is crushed pretty much once they get to camp. Second is when Remarque writes, “We are forlong like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial - I believe we are lost” (123). In this way Paul summarizes this lost generation that he and his fellow

    Read More

  • Ants, Little But Mighty

    1723 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ants, Little but Mighty. What is an ant? Ants are insects, they have six legs and each leg has three joints. Ants legs are very strong.

    Read More

More about Summary Of Dave Matthews Use Of Imagery In Ants Marching

Open Document