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Harry Potter Sorcerer's Stone Diction

Decent Essays

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling, Harry becomes engrossed by the Mirror of Erised. A mirror that would show the viewer their true desires, by doing so capturing their attention. Men and women would slowly begin to fade away from their everyday lives, enthralled by the mirror. This is an example of the dangers of desire and how controlling it could be, also shown in “Thou Blind Man’s Mark” by Sir Philip Sydney. With the use of diction to institute the evils of desire, repetition to accentuate certain expressions, and personification, Sydney expresses the wrongdoings brought to him by his own desire. Many people say that when speaking, it is not what you say but how you say it. In poetry, to convey certain moods and tones, the word choice or diction is essential. Beginning with a title and first line filled with irony, “Thou blind man’s mark”, thou fool’s self- chosen snare” (line 1), Sir Philip Sydney discusses the absurdity of the subject matter of this poem. Using terms such as “bands of all evils” and “ thy worthless ware” in lines 3 and 6, the …show more content…

Fearing that Harry could possibly become obsessed with his desires, Dumbledore had the mirror placed elsewhere in the castle. In Sir Philip Sydney’s “Thou Blind Man’s Mark”, Sydney presents the high risks of desire and how it could dominate our lives. Sydney’s use of diction, repetition, and personification function perfectly together to articulate the speakers dismal attitude towards desire. “Thou Blind Man’s Mark” ends with the words, “For virtue hath this better lesson taught- / Within myself seek my only hire / Desiring naught but to kill desire” (lines 12-14). Contrary to Sydney’s views, the extinction of desire is not the solution to a person’s problem, but could possibly have a harmful effect. Contrarily from desire comes passion and change. Do not kill desire instead change the

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