Types of Literary Devices - Book Report/Review Example

As creative thinkers and creators, people have devised various ways of expressing our thoughts and telling our stories. In today's world, you would find various modes and styles of story telling. They are shown in various channels like TV shows, movies and other multimedia outlets. Everything is visual. Before all of these multimedia channels started popping out, our main modes of creative expression are through words. Narratives are the most preferred because these types usually provide the most vivid images to the readers. For the most part, poetry is the most preferred style of creative expression. Poetry stimulates the mind and imagination. It gives off imagery in the form of carefully thought and formulated words and phrases. In the creation of poetry and other literary pieces, writers use literary devices to aid them in creating their masterpieces. According to Braiman's notes, there are two types of literary devices - literary elements and literary techniques. Literary elements are "identifiable characteristics of a whole text" while elements are "deliberate constructions of choices of language which an author uses to convey meaning in particular way (Braiman). The three poems, To an Athlete Dying Young, Ex-basketball Player, and When You are Old, all made use of literary devices. These three poems can be categorized as some form of lyric poetry, though the Ex-basketball Player can be classified more as a narrative. In the poem, To and Athlete Dying Young, it tells of a glorious athlete at the peak of his career. However, this didn't last long because death somehow decided to take him away. This form of lyric poem is takes the form of eulogy. It's all about mourning the loss of a great hero. Most likely the poem was written after death of the hero but days after his funeral. This particular hero was catapulted into stardom when he won the race, as narrated in the first stanza: "The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high" This stanza alone, laden with alliteration, shows how this man was became the town's hero. He indeed was greatly adored by his people because of it. Thus, when he died the townspeople honored it. For Housman though, he sees this as the trigger for the athlete to become a legend, unforgettable star. In the third stanza, he says: "Smart lad, to slip betimes away from fields Where glory does not stay, And early through the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose," This is where Housman made use of a literary technique of symbolism where the laurel symbolizes the distinction this particular athlete earned because of winning the race. In ancient Greece, it is customary to give the crowned Olympic athletes with a wreath woven of leaves of the laurel tree. The laurel then became the symbol of recognition or award. Usually recognition or successes are forgotten especially if another star emerges. However, with his death, "that early-laurelled head will flock to gaze the strenghtless dead, and find the unwithered on its curls," his legacy lives on. The poem, Ex-basketball Player, also continues on the theme of a fallen hero. However, the protagonist in this poem didn't die. Introducing the setting of the poem - "Pearl Avenue runs past the high-school lot, Bends with the trolley tracks, and stops, cut off Before it has a chance to go two blocks," you would find the writer using personification; Pearl Avenue is a street. It was most likely a street that students would run pass through to get to school. The poem, then, continues on to introduce the main character Flick Webb. Flick Webb was a basketball player; you would already assume this because of the poem's title. He once "played for the high-school team, the Wizards. He was good: in fact, the best." However, the poem goes to narrate that he didn't have anything to fall back on aside from basketball - "He never learned a trade, he just sells gas, Checks oil, and changes flats." This is already a foreshadowing of what is set to come for this high school hero. Updike made use of a classic and timeless literary elemental theme of a fallen high school hero. It is really very reminiscent of current high school to adulthood transition dream, where jocks and the popular kids become losers while the geeks become richer. Though, of course, that is not always the case. But for this particular one, it was the jock turning into a nobody Because of this theme, it can be assumed that this poem is targeted towards high school students; to remind them that it is better to study hard, and have a fallback than to waste away the learning years to find yourself lost in the future. In the ending stanza, author goes on to describe Flick's present day: Off work, he hangs around Mae's Luncheonette. Grease-gray and kind of coiled, he plays pinball, Smokes those thin cigars, nurses lemon phosphates. Flick seldom says a word to Mae, just nods Beyond her face toward bright applauding tiers Of Necco Wafers, Nibs, and Juju Beads. The other made use of vivid imagery of Flick's current situation. Necco Wafers, Nibs and Juju Beads are the popular candies that time. This goes to show that from baskbet ball stardom, Flick ended up hanging out at a Luncheonette, "grease-gray", while craving for candy treats. The most different poem in all three is When You are Old. Indeed, it is still a lyric poem; however, it also displays the theme of unrequited love. In the first stanza, Yeats made use of imagery to describe someone, most likely whom the poem was written to, how she would look in the future. "When you are old and gray and full of sleep And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;" It then continues on the second stanza with "But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face." This is where readers will be captured by the poem's romantic intent. This man has revealed that he loves this girl as who she is and not because of superficial things, that he loves her even if she grows old with wrinkles on her face. But of course, the ending will not be good for our protagonist. In the third and final stanza, you would find this line, "Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled". The writer used personification to describe how love wasn't for this couple; love simply fled. What this means for our protagonist is that he will go away if his love will not be returned by the girl. This is a sad ending for someone that is deemed to be so devoted. All of these three poems have a tragic, sad feel to it. Two are all about fallen heroes that never really got to live and made use of their successes, and the last was about not being loved in return. All echoes shared human experiences. These poems relate to people because it resonates experiences that surpasses barriers like age and time. REFERENCES: Braiman, Jay. "LITERARY DEVICES." Mr. Braiman English Online. 2007. www.mrbraiman.com, Web. 2 Nov 2009. . Grimes, Linda. "Lyric Poetry: Poetry's Many Forms." Suite101.com. 12 Feb 2007. Suite101.com, Web. 2 Nov 2009. . "Literary Devices." Learn Hub. 2008. Learn Hub, Web. 2 Nov 2009. . "Literary Terms." Literary Terms. 13 Feb 2009. Brooklyn College: Department of English, Web. 2 Nov 2009. . Read More