Literary Devices Used In The Play David

Many types of literary devices were used throughout the play “David”. The literary devices help the reader experience and understand the poem more. It can make the poem more enjoyable for the reader and adds a poetic touch.

Imagery is a way to describe objects, scenarios, scenes, etc. by using language that would appeal to physical senses such as; smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound. For example, “Then the darkening firs And the sudden whirring of water of the knifed down a fern-hidden Cliff and splashed unseen into mist in the shadows.” (II. 5. 3-4) This quote is explaining how the day is turning into night, the trees are darkening, the water is swaying with the wind, and the trees vanishing behind the thick fog. “we slogged Through the

musky woods, past a swamp that quivered with frog-song, And camped by a bottle-green lake.” (VII. 1. 2-4). David and Bob walked through the musky smelling woods with a swamp, then paused their hike to rest near a lake with a green pigmentation.

Metaphor is a figure of speech that can have an implied or covert comparison that aren’t related but have similar characteristics. Like,“How time on a knife-edged can pass with the guessing of fragments Remembered from poets,” Instead of directly saying it's a cliff they use the words "knife-edged" to describe it.

Simile is a figure of speech that compares two things using the words “like” or “as”. For example, “The peak was upthrust Like a fist in a frozen ocean of rock that swirled Into valleys the moon could be rolled in.” (II. 3. 2-3). This quote shows that the peak in the valleys resembled a fist, from this point the rising moon can be seen. “And seracs that shone like frozen saltgreen waves.” (VII. 4. 2). This is an indication stating that the ridges were like frozen ocean waves with a green hue.