In the poems ‘presents from my aunts in Pakistan’, by Monica Alve, and ‘Vultures’ by Chinua Achebe, there is a use of colour, powerful imagery, various techniques and possible connotations to emphasise the particular setting, or the feelings of the particular person, and to also highlight the two sides in each poem. In ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan.’ Monica begins the poem in a vivid manner, causing vibrant images to immediately form in my head. Through the words ‘peacock blue’, and the simile ‘glistening like an orange split open’ I am figuratively told that she is attracted to the flamboyant traditions of Asian culture, however she goes on to say ‘bangles snapped, drew blood.’ This emphasises to me that although she had grown up with Pakistani traditions, the ‘snapping bangles’ represents the demise of that particular culture in her life, and how she is reluctant to feel apart of it. Also, the use of blood, which can be interpreted as a deep red colour, its shows her Pakistani life coming to an end at a young age. Additionally, in the poem ‘vultures’ the opening sentence is ‘in the greyness.’ which tells me that the setting is dark and morose at that specific time. This also tells me that the poem may not be the most pleasant, since the colour grey, could represent something insipid and melancholy. However, reading forward, the words ‘nestled close to his mate..’ create the feeling that this poem may not be as gloomy after all, showing that there can also be love in bleak situations. Linking back to ‘presents’ Monica may feel uncomfortable with the fact that she may be part Pakistani, however apart of her will always love it, and she has to embrace that. Powerful uses of imagery in these two poems’ assist in attempting t... ... middle of paper ... ...m is simply expressing that. This emphasises how conflicted Monica is feeling, which helps the reader understand what she is going through. With the use of various techniques in ‘vultures’, such as metaphors ‘a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers’, personification ‘despondent dawn’, and alliteration ‘broken bone’. Moreover, in ‘presents’ techniques such as alliteration, and similes ‘glistening like an orange split open’. Both authors emphasise, using imagery, the progressing conflict in both poems. The reader would experience emotions such as disgust, for vultures, and sympathy for ‘presents’. Achebe tries to convey the message that someone evil, deep down inside could in fact be loving, and that love and death always go together. In addition, Alvi conveys the message that being trapped between two cultures can you bewildered, and skirmish.
There are multiple examples of visual imagery in this poem. An example of a simile is “curled like a possum within the hollow trunk”. The effect this has is the way it creates an image for the reader to see how the man is sleeping. An example of personification is, “yet both belonged to the bush, and now are one”. The result this has is how it creates an emotion for the reader to feel
Whenever the narrator questions the Raven on when his deceased love will return, or when he will stop grieving, the Raven responds with the repeated word “Nevermore” (Poe 102). The bird’s incessant reminders signify that since Lenore’s death is eternal, the narrator’s consequent anguish from it must be as well, which is why the narrator is incapable to ever recover from the Raven’s words on his loss. For, this leaves an everlasting impression on the narrator, prompting him to demand the bird, “‘Take thy beak out of my heart’” (Poe 101). In this metaphor, the author alludes that the Raven’s ‘beak’ is the words it is saying to the narrator, and the ‘heart’ is not representative of the narrator’s physical heart, because the bird is not physically attacking the speaker, but is making him aware of his eternal loss and irreversibly breaking him down emotionally. Therefore, Poe’s use of repetition and metaphor aid him in expressing the loss induced anguish of the
The poem begins with a man’s dark night being interrupted by a raven of the same hue. Traditionally, ravens are seen as bad omens and bringers of death since they are carrion birds and feed on the dead flesh of animals. The man, understanding the relation between the raven and death, associates the raven with “the Night’s Plutonian shore,” otherwise known as the underworld (48). The raven carries along with it a dark reputation.
As mentioned, the parents’ pains, negative emotions and hatred are presented in the first part. Even from the first few lines from the poem: “Ulcerated tooth keeps me...
Comparing Search for my Tongue and Presents From My Aunts in Pakistan The writer, Moniza Alvi, reveals her past in her poem Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan. The poem shows the reader her feelings for Pakistan, the country she was born in. The line "of no fixed nationality" sums up the mood of the poem, that because she lives in England, speaks English but is from Pakistan, she does not seem to belong anywhere. The poem Search for my Tongue, written by Sujata Bhatt, is similar to Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, The line "I thought I spit it out" refers to the metaphor the whole poem is based on, that to speak two languages, to be a part of two cultures, is just as difficult as speaking with two tongues at once.
Edgar Poe uses these rhetorical devices not only to contribute to the theme, but also to make it possible for the reader to experience the same hopelessness and isolation the narrator feeling. “On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before” (line 10). In this simile the narrator is comparing his hopes to the bird’s ability to fly. He is saying that the bird will eventually fly away as did all his hope when his mistress died. Another example is when Poe writes, “Suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping” (lines 3-4). The narrator is comparing the tapping of the raven with that of a human tapping, which reveals that the character is hoping at a chance that it is Lenore. As the poem goes on Edgar Allen Poe describes, ”All his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming” (line 105). This line is comparing the raven’s eyes to a demon’s. Here, he is no longer seeing the raven as an angel but as a demon only there to deliver confirmation of his worst nightmare. Metaphors are also used several times throughout this poem to personify the raven. “But, with mien of lord or lady” (line 40). The author includes this metaphor to allow the reader to recognize that there is something unique about the raven. “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil prophet still, if bird or devil (line 85). The narrator is comparing the raven to either a prophet or the devil. At
For instance, the story that Ekwefi tells to all of Okonkwo’s children is about a tortoise manipulating birds to get food from their party in the sky, and then the birds coming together to get back at the tortoise (Achebe 96-99). In the story, the tortoise symbolizes the missionaries and the birds symbolize the Ibo because like the missionaries, the tortoise is very selfish and acts as if he is doing nothing wrong by his actions, until he fools the birds. Both the missionaries and the tortoise take what is rightfully someone else’s for personal gain. Achebe uses this story to warn readers that in order for the Ibo to salvage their culture and unity, they must communicate with each other like the birds. He also foreshadows the arrival of the missionaries later on in the novel with the tortoise. In essence, Achebe uses the story to convey not only how complex the Ibo culture is, but also just how important it is to be saved. He proves that through cooperation and unity, a group can come together as one to save what is rightfully theirs and limit excess conflict with just a few actions. What Achebe is telling the reader and the tribe themselves, is that sometime there is going to be something that tries to tear them apart and shatter their culture, but the worst thing they can do is separate themselves from each other. Despite the
In this poem called “Creatures” by the author Billy Collins there are three examples of figurative language helps convey the meaning that the author Billy Collins is conveying. The three examples of figurative language that the author Billy Collins uses are a metaphor, enjambment, and imagery. These three examples of figurative language help illustrate Billy Collins” theme in this poem called “Creatures” that he is writing because these three examples of figurative language help emphasize the theme of the poem. These three examples help emphasize this poem called “Creatures” meaning because it makes the theme of this poem have a deeper meaning. The theme of the author Billy Collins poem called “Creatures” is that the reader has to imagine
John Updike’s poem “The Great Scarf of Birds” expresses the varying emotions the narrator experiences as he witnesses certain events from nature. His narration of the birds throughout the poem acts as numerous forms of imagery and symbolism concerning him and his life, and this becomes a recollection of the varying emotional stances he comes to terms with that he has experienced in his life. These changes are so gradually and powerfully expressed because of a fluent use of diction and figurative language, specifically symbolism and simile, and aided by organization.
In the Poem Parsley, Rita Dove uses a legion of figurative language to make a point about the political state of the Dominican Republic and to draw attention to the socioeconomic issues in that society. She effectively utilizes a narrator who gives the reader insight into the lives of the migrant workers as well as the life of the wealthy dictator. We can see into both of their lives and gain an understanding of how they perceive their existence. Diction plays a key role in showing the violence that is going to and eventually does occur. The words chosen relate back to war or make the most ordinary, everyday tasks sound violent. Finally, the parrot in the poem is used to signify all of the major themes and provide insight into the two worlds.
...ession is always on Stephen’s mind. As he watches the bird’s fly above him the artistic consciousness shows it’s maturation. “What birds were they?” Stephen asks himself as he begins to artistically analyze them and actions. “He watched their flight; bird after bird....They were flying high and low but ever round and round in straight and curving lines and ever flying from left to right, circling about a temple of air.” Stephen mind captures details and draws their path. The artist, Stephen creates a metaphor to represent how he sees the movement, “circling about a temple of air”. His mind has matured from the simple details and into complex retelling. This continues with the bird’s cries. “Their cry .... like threads of silken light unwound from whirring spools”. Stephen’s artistic mind uses a simile to describe their cries; illustrating how he is consciousness has
This essay is anchored on the goal of looking closer and scrutinizing the said poem. It is divided into subheadings for the discussion of the analysis of each of the poem’s stanzas.
Symbolism had a large impact on the writers of the nineteen century similar to the effect it places in literature today. Symbolism is explained in these terms, “Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning much deeper and more significant.”(Batova) The more significant meaning is often overlooked upon first inspection but when read again a new understanding can be developed. One symbol often used in poetry during this gothic time period of the nineteenth was the use of a bird as a type of omen. The Albatross in Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is shot from the sky and many terrible things ensue after it’s death and it is seen as an omen to the sailors aboard the ship. Yet another poem contains an omen presented in the form of a bird, namely a raven from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven which contains a foreboding air and creates an ominous feeling as to the impending death or doom of the narrator. The two birds can be compared by their appearance, the actions, and the influence they have upon the narrator of their respective poems, creating an image of a bird representing much more than another living creature.
Within this passage Gyatso uses words and phrases like “tryst”, “vulture”, “plumage”,“fraught with” and “fray”. There is significance in Gyatso’s choice of words, and there are hints that indicate to the reader that the poem was written about Gyatso’s regent.
The consistent pattern of metrical stresses in this stanza, along with the orderly rhyme scheme, and standard verse structure, reflect the mood of serenity, of humankind in harmony with Nature. It is a fine, hot day, `clear as fire', when the speaker comes to drink at the creek. Birdsong punctuates the still air, like the tinkling of broken glass. However, the term `frail' also suggests vulnerability in the presence of danger, and there are other intimations in this stanza of the drama that is about to unfold. Slithery sibilants, as in the words `glass', `grass' and `moss', hint at the existence of a Serpent in the Garden of Eden. As in a Greek tragedy, the intensity of expression in the poem invokes a proleptic tenseness, as yet unexplained.