There are many ways authors include literary devices to not only express their position on certain things, but also to evoke emotion and thought from readers for them to fully understand the reason for them being presented. The author may drop hints through tone, style, symbolism, and motifs. These four elements help lead the reader to infer reasoning, meaning, and significance behind aspects of every story. In the poem “XIV”, Derek Walcott recalls a memory in which he visits an elderly storyteller. The reader can understand the significance behind the journey as Walcott uses poetic devices such as imagery, metaphors, and personification to establish tone and highlight symbolic aspects in the poem. The overall intriguing tone of the poem adds …show more content…
The use of imagery in the poem created the feel of a long, twisted path to find the storyteller. This is significant because it allows the reader to infer that going on such a trip was new and mysterious to Walcott. Lines 5-6 (“Sunset would threaten us as we climbed closer to her house up the asphalt hill road”) show that not only was it a long journey, but also dangerous seeing as there was not much light besides the “lamp at the black twist of the past”, which is known to belong the house of the old storyteller. Walcott also uses metaphors to express the importance of the elderly storyteller. “She was the lamplight in the stare of two mesmerized boys”. This quote allows the reader to realize that the lady was able to guide them in a way much similar to the lamp which led them to her. This leads the reader to infer that the experience was meaningful and made such an impact that it will last with them throughout adulthood. In the quote, “There’s childhood and there’s childhood’s aftermath”, Walcott expresses the importance of learning from experiences in our childhood that grant us understanding and …show more content…
Much like Walcott, we go through things as children that shape and change the way we cat and think. We also meet people that leave large impacts on us. We should embrace and cherish those moments and memories and always keep them close to us. Another story in which the author guides the readers though literary devices is “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. “A Rose for Emily” is narrated in first-person plural. I believe the author chose to make it first-person plural to show that it wasn’t just one person who thought those things about Miss Emily nor was it just men or just women. It was almost everyone in the town that reacted that way. Had it been one person, we could’ve said it was only their opinion. This narrative strategy relates to that description because all of the townspeople felt as if they were to take care of her, not just the narrator. The style in which Faulkner writes this story allows the reader’s mind to wonder and put the story together their own
Authors use literary elements and techniques as tools to convey meaning. These devices are the means by which authors bring richness and clarity to a text. They express moods or feelings that allow the reader to connect with the writing. In On Writing, the author, Stephen King makes use of literary elements to tell his story. The techniques King uses are effective in portraying vivid images and feelings in the reader’s mind.
From the very beginning of the poem “XIV”, it is clear the author is describing an experience that has left a lasting impression on him. Walcott vividly details his childhood visit with the elderly storyteller, and his journey there. Throughout the poem the author uses poetic devices to convey how this experience was a defining moment in his transformation from childhood to adulthood, and contributed to his identity and newfound wisdom.
Dunbar and Randall both use interesting imagery in their poems to display how the character truly feels. In the “Ballad of Birmingham,” stanzas
symbolism and foreshadowing are both used to clue the reader into the eventual fate of the
Many memories for young children involve a special individual who made specific events during their childhood, vividly stand out to them as adults. In “Tender Stranger” written by Phillip Lopate, a memory is told from the perspective of a young boy. He is on his way to school when he suddenly bumps into a lawyer on the street corner. In “Novella” written by Robert Hass, the memory is from a young girl who develops a friendship with an elderly gentleman who lives in a cabin deep in the woods. The young boy meets the lawyer on the busy sidewalk and never sees him again, while the young girl forms an extensive friendship as she and the elderly man visit often. The vivid childhood memories of these two relationships play a significant role in the character’s life, whether it was a short encounter or a long lasting friendship.
The literary device provides a deeper connection, as well as establishes an author authority on
The author uses many literary devices to bring richness and clarify the text.
Imagery sets the mood, which affects the readers’ minds as they read. The vivid sensory details and variety of connotation leads to multiple emotions. In Piercy’s poem, similes control the story, taking the readers on a sensory journey as it intensifies the meaning behind the idea. The structure “[makes] a pattern of chaos” (Kort-10) that is able to tie back to a richer meaning. However, in Merwin’s poem, there is not as many whimsical connection to sentences. Rather it has a “deeply introspective volume” (Bosewell-2) that helps intensify the meaning behind each line. Conversely, Merwin does work will melancholy sound devices that relate back to the serious subject. This ideas separates Merwin’s work since he wanted to “[develop] a different style”( Bosewell-2) which shows through his thorough topic descriptions. Nevertheless, the depth is still shown through the complex comparison between the prodigious world and the opulent
There are many parts of a story that work together to make it worth reading. This could include the theme, plot, structure, characters, setting, or tone. Authors use a number of different literary devices that allow them to expand upon their ideas and make their stories clearer. This could be through a central theme or through symbols that contribute to telling a story. Each practice is used to further describe written literary work.
Faulkner forces the reader to explore beyond the outside of the narrative for an explanation of
Throughout works of literature, authors use many different techniques to help enhance a reader’s experience. It is an author’s goal to make the work not just words on a page, but to take readers into their work as if he or she was in the context themselves. One of the ways authors can accomplish this is by using literary devices. By using literary devices, authors can develop their theme. After reading the plot is when the theme becomes more evident. Without the theme, readers are unable to connect to the work. Due to this, theme is argumentatively the most important aspect of a work. In order to determine the theme, the reader must examine the biographical, psychological, and historical aspects the author is portraying. When
In the poem “XIV”, Derek Walcott paints a vivid picture of a young boy, the narrator, and his brother are travelling to listen to a storyteller, and suggests the profound impact that the experience has on the boy’s life as he continues to grow. Due to the tone of the poem and the way speaker talks about the story, it is very clear that the speaker remembers his childhood experiences with the storyteller fondly, and still believes she is magical to this day.
A novel is like an author’s canvas. They can paint whatever they desire much like an artist would paint a picture. The author uses different literary tools similar to an artist using different brushstrokes. These tools include writing devices such as plot, characterization, description, and dialogue. Similar to blending colors to create a different impact, an author may use multiple techniques to increase dimension in their book.
Literary elements are used in many ways to further develop the readers’ understanding of the passage. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses literary elements such as symbolism and characterization in “Young Goodman Brown” and The Scarlet Letter. Washington Irving also uses symbolism and characterization in his work, “The Devil and Tom Walker.” Symbolism is used to give the reader subtle hints at parts of the plot by giving ordinary objects different and symbolic meanings. Characterization is also used to reveal hidden themes through the characters. The authors use objects and people in their stories to show how sin is bad. The Scarlet Letter, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, and “Young Goodman Brown” all use different literary elements to portray their themes: sin is wrong and dwelling on it can cause your downfall.
Many of your favorite authors bring their successful literature to life with the use of literary devices. For example, in The Book Thief, the author, Markus Zusak conveyed a story from death’s perspective of adversities faced during World War II. On the other hand, in “The Monkey’s Paw,” author W.W. Jacobs told his audience about a magical paw that revealed the meaning of fate to the White family. In another work, “The Plot Against People,” Russell Baker took a humorous spin on his frustration of inanimate objects. Although these three authors tell three completely different narratives, they all used literary devices to enhance their stories. Some of the most compelling literary devices used in these works include irony, mood, and personification. By using these literary devices, the authors effectively convey their purposes.