Introduction To Literary Devices And Figures Of Speech

Introductionliterary Devices And Figures Of Speech Are Both Stylistic

Introductionliterary Devices And Figures Of Speech Are Both Stylistic devices applied in writing especially in poems to make them interesting and lively thereby catching the reader's attention. There is a fine line between what stylistic devices are classified as literary devices and figures of speech with some devices overlapping into both fields. The best distinction is that figures of speech includes devices which use words figuratively by diverging them from their literal meanings to allow a reader to create a mental image of the writing. On the other hand, literary devices maintain the literal meaning of words while mostly exploiting their sounds to make writing lively. Literary devices are applied in literary works like poems to capture the reader's attention by making the works lively.

It is important to note that while figures of speech and literary devices share characteristics they are distinguishable. Figures of speech use words figuratively rather than literary by diverging the meaning of words to allow a reader to create mental images especially relevant to the environment. On the other hand literary devices maintain the literal meaning of words but exploits sounds within this words to impress the audience of a literary work.

Rhyme Scheme (Literary Device)

Rhyme scheme is literary device that applies a correspondence of sound in the final sounds/ last words of two or more lines. Correspondence in sound could be in two successive lines or two alternate lines.

“The guests are gone from the pavilion high/ In the small garden flowers are whirling around/ Along the winding path the petals lie/ To greet the setting sun, they drift up from the ground” (Falling Flowers, 1,2, 3, 4). Correspondence is present in two alternate lines. Rhymes schemes basically ensure correspondence of sound in final words of alternate or successive lines. In short, the similar sounds of words could be noticeable in lines that follow each other directly or even in indirect lines. A repletion of the same pattern throughout the poem could create a rhythm.

Simile (Figure of Speech)

A simile is figure of speech that diverges words from their literal meanings by comparing two unlike things using either as or like. “With white rushes well bound;/ There was a lady fair as jade” (In the Wilds There is a Dead Doe, 8). Jade is typically green stone used in creation of ornaments and the writer compares the beauty of the lady to that of a jade stone using as. Similes compare two unlike things using as or like thereby allowing the reader to create a mental image thus making it a figure of speech. In the classical poem “in the wilds there is a dead doe” the poet likens the lady to jade which is a beautiful stone used in the creation of ornaments.

Metaphor (Figure of Speech)

Often, people misinterpret metaphors to be similes. However, metaphor is the comparison of two unlike things without the use of as or like. “Never let your heart open with the spring flowers:/ One inch of love is an inch of ashes” (The East Wind Sighs, Line 8). The artist directly compares love to the ashes without the use of as or like but still creates the image that love could sometimes be as meaningless as ash.

With that in mind, metaphors are quite like similes as it compare two unlike things but it does not use like or as. In this way, metaphors make direct comparisons thereby creating a mental image impression for the reader to interpret certain text. In the poem “The East Wind Sighs” line 8, the poet compares an inch of love to an inch of ashes without use of as or like.

Rhetorical Question (Literary Device)

Rhetorical questions are questions asked not to elicit an actual response but to call attention to something. Rhetoric questions bring recurring societal themes that linger in many minds within a poem to catch a reader's attention. “Why these violent men?/ Why these slaughterers?/ Why are they in office? Why are they in power?” (Mighty is God on High, lines 11/12/ 13). The artist raises the common question of why inhumane people always end up ruling, a question that nobody has an answer to yet it acts to engage the readers attention. Rhetorical questions are used in writings to capture the attention of readers by raising a question with no actual response that aims at engaging the mind of the reader through deep thoughts. Readers constantly have these questions subconsciously and by introducing them the writer engages them into deep thought that will not end with any actual response.

In “Mighty is God on High,” lines 11/12/ 13 the poet captures the reader's attention through a question that has been common throughout human history without achieving any apparent answer. That makes these questions become rhetoric and they act to engage the reader to the poem.

Onomatopoeia (Figure of Speech)

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where words or phrases indicate sounds made in a situation like animal sounds. “Rider through the autumn wind/ Whose horse neighs at night” (Song of the Bronze Statue, line 3). The word neigh is similar to the sound that horse actually produces and it is considered to be a greeting between horses or sound made during a happy moment. Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where words are mimics of actual sounds in particular situations. The buzz of a bee, the moo of a cow, and others are common examples. The word neigh is similar to the sound the horses produce and is used by the poet in the “Song of the Bronze Statue” line 3 to mimic the sound the horse of a rider produces.

Consonance (Literary Device)

Consonance is the property of sounding harmonious by repeating consonant sounds at the middle or end of a word. Consonants can occur anywhere within words and do not require words to be directly next to each other. “King Wen ascends and descends” (King Wen is on High, line 7). “And now his grandsons and sons” (King Wen is on High, line 13). The writer employs the harmonious sounds “ends” and “sons” at the end of words not necessarily next to each other to create an impression. Consonance is a literary device since it exploits the sound of words without changing the meaning. Consonant sounds could occur anywhere within a word and the words do not have to necessarily follow each other directly but are always on the same line within a poem. Such is evident in the poem “King Wen is on High,” where the poet employs consonance several times. For instance, on lines 7 and 13, “King Wen ascends and descends” and “And now his grandsons and sons,” respectively. The writer employs the harmonious sounds “ends” and “sons” at the end of words not necessarily next to each other to create an impression.

Allusion (Literary Device)

Allusion is a poetic device that applies the reference within a literary work to a historical, literary, or biblical character, place, or event. A poet can borrow a line or a topic from previous works or historical cultural settings. “In the wilds there is a dead doe;/ With white rushes we cover her” (In the Wilds There is Dead Doe, lines 1 & 2). The title and the line of the poem borrow from Arthur Waley’s “The Book of Songs,” which states that if Chinese peasants find a deer in the woods that has died they would cover it with rushes as a sign of respect. The poet alludes to both historical facts and other literary works. Allusion is primarily the referencing of other historical, literary, or biblical characters, places, or events in one's work. It is basically the borrowing of a line or notion from previous work, historical records of particular culture, or stories of the bible. The lines 1&2 “In the wilds there is a dead doe;/ With white rushes we cover her” allude both to Chinese culture and the works of Arthur Waley.

Imagery (Literary Device & Figure of Speech)

Imagery refers to language that brings to mind sensory impressions whereby one is able to form a mental picture of things or events. “Toward evening there was thunder and lightning. Why was the lady sad?” (Toward Evening, line 1). The description of thunder and lightning creates a mental image of the atmosphere of sadness that follows in the poem. Thunder and lightning evoke sensory impressions that the woman was sad due to disturbances, quite like that of a storm. Imagery allows an individual to create a mental image of the atmosphere within a poem or surrounding a text, making it a figure of speech. It allows a reader to easily and accurately interpret texts. In the poem “Toward Evening,” the author uses imagery to create a mental image in the reader's mind of the atmosphere around the sadness of a woman in the evening. Thunder and lightning not only show sadness but also explain the reason behind the sadness to be disturbances. The reader therefore understands the work through the reflection of mental images.

Conclusion

On the whole, it is apparent that literary and figures of speech are used complementarily to catch the attention of the audiences in literary works. While the two poetic devices are quite hard to distinguish, it is easy to note that literary devices (consonance, rhyme scheme) largely apply the sound of words to make works lively, and figures of speech like similes apply the transition of words from their literal meaning to allow the reader to create mental images associated with the theme. In the end, all these stylistic devices enable a poet to capture the attention of the reader while still allowing them to interpret deeper themes by reflecting their environment.

References

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• Waley, A. (1937). The Book of Songs. George Allen & Unwin Ltd.