Theme Of Figurative Language In Diving Into The Wreck

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Recommended: English 12 figurative language

The Use of Figurative Language in Diving into the Wreck
Figurative language is an integral part of literature. When used correctly, it enables the reader to experience and analyze the text. In the poem Diving into the Wreck, by Adrienne Rich, the speaker uses this literary device to submerge the reader into the plot. The speaker takes a journey where she examines the past, to identify the wreck and salvage the remains. She can experience the wreck firsthand and notices how different it is from the descriptions in myths and stories. She then realizes that she must return to share her experience authentically. Furthermore, the speaker can build the theme of the poem by using multiple forms of figurative language. It is clear that the theme of …show more content…

The speaker utilizes both the sea and the color of the sea as symbols to convey her message.
The sea represents much more than a body of water that the speaker explores. The sea symbolizes the speaker’s conscious and subconscious memories. The sea holds the complete story and does not hide the unpleasant aspects. It is up to the speaker whether she genuinely wants to investigate. The speaker says, “it pumps my blood with power/the sea is another story/the sea is not a question of power” as she descends into the water (38-39). At this moment, the speaker realizes the significance of her decision to dive into the sea. She becomes ready to analyze and looked through her past, and deal with the …show more content…

By using these symbols, the speaker presents the importance of truth and perspective in moments of self-discovery. Lastly, the dive and the wreck are both metaphors that help the speaker establish the theme of this poem. The dive is a metaphor for her journey and the significance that surrounds it, while the wreck is a metaphor for a physical representation of her past. These metaphors play a large role in this poem as intangibles that are needed to get the point across. With the use of these literary devices, the speaker is successfully able to establish that the significance of self-discovery is the theme of this

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