Literary Devices and Their Use in Poetry - 1875 Words

LITERARY DEVICES AND THEIR USE IN POETRY The task set out in this essay is to examine the listed devices (accentuation, creation of hierarchies, shifts of accent, ambiguity, semanticisation and creation of relationship) of syntactic foregrounding, using examples from poems as illustration. The word ‘foregrounding’ when used in a literary context means to ‘make strange’. In other words poets use various literary and poetic devices in order to highlight a particular unit within a poem, in order to give the reader ‘clues’ as she goes about interpreting and ascertaining meaning in a given work. We will start at the top of the list with accentuation. As can be denoted from its meaning, accentuation is a form or type of foregrounding. It†¦show more content†¦The lines of the poem are spaced in such a way that they give you a visual image of the trapeze swinging to and fro. Most of E.E. Cummings poems are also presented in very unusual spatial patterns. In fact, one of his poems â€Å"Grasshopper† is so uncommonly spaced that I found it almost impossible to read the poem. Having dealt with accentuation as a literary device used in poetry we now move onto creation of hierarchies. Initially I struggled to understand this particular device, and even now I am not certain that I understand it correctly. I believe however that the way I now understand it is that the hierarchy starts with a main clause and all the subsequent clauses are subordinate to that clause. If this is correct then I would use the poem Sonnet 138 by William Shakespeare as an example. The main clause of the poem comes in the first two lines â€Å"When my love swears that she is made of truth/I do believe her, though I know she lies.† (www.poemhunter.com) All the subsequent lines begin with a conjunction, denoting that they are subordinate clauses. The best example I could find of a poem that used shifting of accents is ironically also centred on the theme of death, just like the poem used in the Study Guide. The poem is A Thought on Death by W.H. Auden. This poem follows a similar path to A process in the weather of the heart by Dylan Thomas. Stanza one refers to life as an opening bud and concludes with the words â€Å"Alas! How hard it is to die! InShow MoreRelatedThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1025 Words   |  5 Pagessuccessful and most famous pieces. Robert Frost is a man who uses literary devices to his advantage in trying to make his work better, devices such as symbolism, imagery, and rhyme scheme which he uses to express his thoughts through this poem, and he does so very well. The way the poem is written makes it have meaning behind it while it had been written in a joking manner. It is also quite easy to read and understand because of literary devices used within it. The Road Not Taken is a very famous Read MoreUnseen Poetry Revision - Ib English Hl961 Words   |  4 Pagesthe poems form, and any important literary devices which appear throughout it. Write about an important aspect of the poem which you will further discuss in your wildcard paragraph and eventually conclude in your last paragraph. Paragraph One: Structure and Narration Briefly mention the poems structure. Make note of the use of Enjambment or the juxtaposition of words. Write about the poems meter and its speed. Make note of the poems speaker (do not use narrator) and his/her tone. 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Hu ghes was born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and his grandmother raised him. She got him into literature and education; she was one ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem My August Guest By Robert Frost Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesThese features include not only grammar and syntax but also literary devices such as meter, and metaphor. The formalist approach does not pay attention to a text s historical, biographical, or geographical context. A formal analysis, is the formal analyzation of a text. This paper will delve into the formal analysis of two distinct poems, written by different authors. The emphasis will be on the physical elements, or structure of the poetry, less on the meaning. In the first poem â€Å"My November Guest†Read MoreHughes Use of Literary Devices658 Words   |  3 Pages Langston Hughes Use of Literary Devices Only a half of century after the abolition of slavery, the African Americans began the movement of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920‘s. Suppressed by whites, segregation, second-class citizen ship and a poor education Langston Hughes became one of the most inspirational poets of his time. Langston Hughes let the world know of his existence through his poetry. Ignited with passion, pride and knowledge of the journey through slavery and there after, HughesRead MorePoem Analysis : Poem And Poetry Mean1257 Words   |  6 PagesThe words poem and poetry mean â€Å"to create or make.† There is a variety of different ways to create poems, and the more experience you have, the more ideas you will get on how to write them. The first poem in â€Å"Meeting Poem: An Overview† is Schoolsville and the poem moves from apparent reality to something beyond it. Poets provide their readers with thoughts on different subjects. For example, in the poem â€Å"Hope,† the author is describing how hope is available in everyday things and situations.Read MoreFigurative Language And The Language1305 Words   |  6 Pagesthoughts centered around its meaning. It has an interesting background, covers a wide array of literary devices, is applied within different types of writing, and people employ these devices within their daily language. Figurative language is a constructive way to communicate ideas using expressions, unlike its opposite idea which is literal interpretations. â€Å"Figurative language, in comparison, uses exaggerations or alterations to make a particular linguistic point† (YourDictionary, 2017). It isRead MoreUnique Elements Within Dickinson s Poetry1188 Words   |  5 PagesUnique Elements within Dickinson’s Poetry Emily Dickinson is considered to be one of the most popular and prolific poets of her time period. Dickinson had a unique style of writing which pulled in influence from both the Romantic and Realist periods. Dickinson’s style of writing had many elements, such as imagery and advanced vocabulary, which helped differentiate herself from other poets. Dickinson also explored a wide range of subjects throughout her poetry, mainly writing about religion, deathRead MoreWilliam Wordsworth1477 Words   |  6 PagesWordsworth’s Use of Literary Devices Related to Nature William Wordsworth’s frequent references to nature in his poetry shows that he paid close attention to the details of the physical environment around him. His poetry relates to nature by focusing primarily on the relationship between inner life with the outer world. William Wordsworth uses literary devices such as personification, similes, and the impressions nature makes on him to show the importance of the relationship that man should have