Larson Use Of Figurative Language

375 Words1 Page

The last and most effective aspect of writing Larson uses is figurative language and devices; it is best to start with the basic use of a simile used to illustrate and aspect for the reader, as seen when he portrays the Worthington pumps, “Worthington pumps began stretching their shafts and pistons, like praying mantises shaking off the cold” (Larson 238). Its effect is providing an artistic interpretation of events so that the experience is not just reading facts that could cause the reader to become unamused. This is the same reasoning behind the use of personification in the passage. This can be exemplified when the verb soared is applied to the water from the fountain, “pumps exploded from the MacMonnies Fountain and soared a hundred feet into the sky, casting a sheet rainbow cross the sun” (Larson 238-239). The latter section of this sentence comments on the creation of a sheet rainbow and serves as an accent for the rest of the sentence. Another form of accent that Larson uses if foreshadowing, a small literary device that can achieve great power of meaning and is the reason he uses this technique. The passage ends in a dramatically unexpected dark note that reflects the overall main themes of the book, this ending being, “As the crowd thundered, a man eased up beside a thin, pale woman with a bent neck. In the next instant Jane Addams realized her purse was gone.” (Larson 239). The purpose of this is highlighting all of the …show more content…

This is achieved by different methods that can be classified into three main overall groups. These are diction and sentence structure, details and imagery, and figurative language. This can be best observed in the passage on pages 238-239 from his book. This passage is compelling because of its dramatic and awe inspiring affect generated by the techniques he

Open Document