Others can have an effect on people’s lives. In fact, in times of racial prejudice , it is often found that white people react differently to black people. Often, black-white relations are sought out to be malicious. In the poem Tableau, by Countee Cullen, the main characters choose to ignore racial comments. In the poem Incident, also by Countee Cullen, the main character is greatly affected by a passerby’s racial slur remarks. Although both poems are written by the same author, their figurative languages, tones, and themes are contrasting. Figurative language is often used as a means to paint a picture, especially in racist situations. In Tableau, the main characters are described to be, “Locked arm in arm they cross the way/The black boy and the white,” (Cullen 1-2). This sets up the scene of a white and black friend. An example of a metaphor would be, “The golden splendor of the day/The sable pride of night,” the white boy being the day and the black boy being the night (Cullen 3-4). This quote signifies that they need each other like the day needs the night. In Incident, there is more imagery than any other figurative language. For example, it is stated, “Now I was eight and very small,And he was no whit bigger,/ And so I smiled, but he poked out/ His tongue…” which shows that the white boy picking on the black boy were both the same size (Cullen 5-8). Another piece of figurative language would be the last stanza, “I saw the whole of Baltimore/From May until
I can tell you the authors style in the book In November by Cynthia Rylant. The style in her writings are mostly personification or figurative language. I know this because on page 4 it says "spreading there arms like dancers" based on what I read Cynthia Rylant uses personification also uses a simile. The book In November Cynthia uses tree limbs as dancers. She give a descriptive look as what the tree looks like. Cynthia Rylant uses a human action to a non human thing.
The poems “Tableau” and “Incident” by Countee Cullen are about racism, but both have a different take on it. The African American author wrote in 1900’s , when racism was common and more acceptable. Cullen’s work became more popular during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s. Both poems are developed with different writing mechanics to convey a clear message to the reader or audience. Cullen uses figurative language and tone to develop the theme in each text.
Introduction The book, The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, is an adventurous story about a creative boy named Alex, and his very bland and boring twin brother Aaron. Alex and Aaron are split apart because Alex took the blame for something that Aaron did, and at the Purge, when they were both thirteen years old, Alex was sent to his death, and Aaron was sent to the university of Quill, where he would become a governor. Alex, however lived because of a man named Mr Today, and the secret world of Unwanteds. Aritme was full of talking statues, magical creatures, and lots and lots of colors.
In “Every Little Hurricane” by Sherman Alexie, the story takes you through a damaged, poverty suffering, Native American family through young Victor’s eyes. This story opens the reader’s eyes to those who may not have the luxury of money. Poverty can definitely take a toll on a family. The effect of poverty also brings alcohol. Victor’s family definitely has a major issue with addiction to alcohol. This has become the normal for Victor because his parents drink a lot. You can inference this from the story. The author of this story has used many pieces of figurative language to enhance the theme and also improve the story and keep the reader’s attention. One example of figurative language in the story was Alexie’s word choice and dialogue. One example of this from the text is, “Goddamn it, one Indian yelled at another as the argument began. “You ain’t got shit, you fucking apple” (pg. 2). This example from the text shows how Alexie uses specific words of the Native Americans and uses it to impact the reader. He also uses some harsh swear words to give the text a tone/mood. He makes a unique and ragged tone with his word choice. The swear words represent the harshness and how bad of a shape Victor’s family is in. The author also uses the insult “apple” in the example earlier. “Apple” is an insult used by Native Americans to call someone who is Native American on the outside but acts white on the inside. This is added to the story to give the dialogue more importance. These words strongly impact the characters of the story and you only get why if you know what it means. This makes the reader think deeper into the story. Another example of dialogue and word choice is, “They always fought. Had been fighting since the very beginning. “Well, tell them to get their asses out of my house,” Victor’s father yelled again, his decibel level rising to meet the tension in the house” (pg. 2). This shows a good example of Alexie using word choice and dialogue throughout his story. Because the words chosen give a vibe of how intense the scene is. When the author mentions that the father’s voice reached the amount of tension of the house, this made the reader almost hear how loud the
In chapter one of the novel, Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the author incorporates figurative language to develop the characters and the setting. The first example that portrays figurative language is, “The walls are cracked and water runs upon them in thin threads without sound, black and glistening as blood.” This example uses a metaphor to compare the water on the walls to glistening blood. In return, the readers can get a visual of the rooms setting and what the walls look like. Another example from chapter one is, “Their hair was white and their faces were cracked as the clay of a dry river bed.”
Ellen Hunnicutt once said “. . . figurative language adds pizzazz. It raise work above the plain, the dull, the ordinary.” This quote explains how using figurative language helps create a more interesting and useful way of expressing a tone of a character or event.Figurative language is a uses of words, phrases, and sentences to help to make the characters and story line come more to live in the reader’s mind. Some examples of Figurative languages are similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia, and many more. Figurative language help the reader see tone and mood in each of the example of figurative language because the reader can see or image the event or character in their mind. In a story, poem, or any form of writing, figurative language is extremely important to a reader because if a sentence didn’t have figurative language the reader may not find the story or poem interesting or even find it confusing and difficult to understand.In addition the use of figurative language is crucial when an author is writing. In the stories “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers and The Pigman, By Paul Zindel, the authors used Figurative language to develop the tone of their stories so that that the reader can visualize it in their mind.
Authors use figurative language to describe the objects and characters in the stories. In the passage “Uncle Timothy’s Ships,” by Summer Woodford, figurative language reveals the significance of the bottled ships, Woodford reveals the significance of the bottled ships by using metaphors, extended metaphors, and personification. The first piece of figurative language that Summer Woodford uses are metaphors. A metaphor is to compare two things without using like or as.
Figurative language can help the author make a point. An author can use specific types of figurative language to convey a certain point which in the long run can express the purpose of an author’s work. Personification gives life like characteristics “ The fire was out to get her” (Walls). This personification shows her attachment with fire and the fear it causes her it also helps the reader connect with the writing letting the author better convey the purpose.
Figurative language is a language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. When the author uses literary language, he or she is stating the facts as they are. Figurative language is very common in poetry, and is also used in prose and nonfiction as well. In the stories “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myer and “ The Contender” by Robert Lipsyte the authors use figurative language to describe the mood, setting, and the characters.
In this passage of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the reader obtains a very in depth description of what the Walls Family home in Welch is like once they move in. The author is this text is conveying how poor of a state their new home is. Walls uses the literary element figurative language to reveal the state of their home to the reader.
Figurative language is language that which expressions with a different meaning from what it may seem like at if taken literally. By using figurative language, it allows for authors to better develop points, ideas, actions, or scenery. In the stories “Canyons” written by Gary Paulsen and “Treasure of Lemon Brown” written by Walter Dean Myers the authors use figurative language to develop the scene and characters in a creative way and more interesting way for the reader.
Figurative language is a main component in showcasing the emotions the characters reveal. An example being when the author writes “ The children huddled up to her and breathed like little calves waiting at the bars in the twilight.” This portrays the children's emotions with more emphasis and really shows how they watched everything Granny Weatherall did with precision. This type of writing really helps the reader understand what is going on within the characters and their actions. The author also displays figurative language in the way she describes how John would be in the situation of them still being together. She describes him as being more of a child, rather than taking a parent role.
The Harlem Renaissance allowed for the expression of many African American artists such as Countee Cullen to illustrate the indifference of blacks and whites through poetry. Cullen wrote Tableau as well as Incident, which share a tone of power. The racial interaction between a black and white boy in the two poems both contradict and have similarities. Developing their separate themes comes with the comparison of the two races and how they treat one another. Countee Cullen uses figurative language and tone to formulate the themes of the two works of literacy.
A freezing winter breeze prowls into the skin of a pubescent twelve year old, leaving his breath visible to his naked eye. All amidst butterflies maneuver in his stomach. Using few words and variations of figurative languages like the example above from “Oranges” by Gary Soto, authors alike can construct a powerful and vivid image of their novels. When people speak literally, their words lack the imagination that literary devices crate. In turn, readers lose the ability to capture the tone that the writer or the author’s characters are trying to convey. Figurative language is the gateway to an author's mind and allows others to interpret the novelist’s way of thinking. Although everyone thinks differently, figurative language is a “language” that everyone can understand. Utilizing the different symbols in “Oranges”, Gary soto harnesses figurative language to strengthen his poem and expresses the feelings of a young boy in love, as he adventures through his first date.
The poem “Incident,” by Countee Cullen, was written in the 1920s where racism towards African Americans was extremely prevalent. Jim Crow Laws were heavily enacted in the South, and the mandate of “separate but equal,” was spread across the U.S. This segregated schools, public places, and public transportation, where African American facilities were almost always inferior. Though northern America was thought to be much more progressive, there was still an incredible inequality between blacks and whites. Alvin Ailey said that “one of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people,” and this idea is depicted through the speakers’ childhood memory where he recounts being called “N****r” by another child. The poem presents the power that words have, and how divisive they can be. Through the imagery, diction, syntax, and tone in “Incident,” Cullen powerfully depicts racism and the lasting impact that words have. Furthermore, this poem presents how racism has no boundaries and affects everyone even an innocent child.