...vice of lying by using the ironic statement that, “Think what tedious years of study, thought, practice, experiences, went to the equipment of that peerless old master who was able to impose upon the whole world the lofty and sounding maxim that, ‘Truth is mighty and will prevail.’” He then concludes his discussion on lies by saying if “It is indestructible...but that is no merit of yours.” Closing his topic of firearms, and the care to take with them, he uses the imagery of “A youth who can’t hit a cathedral at thirty yards with a Gatling gun in three quarters of an hour, can take up an old...
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...biblical allusions informs us of Hamlet’s inevitable fall. Throughout the play, Hamlet uses many mythological allusions to show his feelings towards other characters such as Claudius, Gertrude and the old king as well as inform us of his “fall”. After Queen Gertrude is re-married to Claudius, Hamlet shows his feelings when he compares the late King Hamlet to Claudius. Hamlet tells his mother, "So excellent a king, that was to this / Hyperion to a satyr." (Ham. I ii 139-40). This allusion shows Hamlet's high praise for his dead father as well as his extreme hatred for Claudius. Hyperion is the Greek sun god. By comparing his dead father to Hyperion, Hamlet does not just connect his father to a titan, but also the source of light and with that hope and happiness. The sun is what also sustains life. Hamlet is alluding to how his father was a great king, a strong and dynamic leader that cared for his family and strength of Denmark. The sun also symbolizes warmth and glory which are qualities reflected upon his father. A good king, like the sun, is also a keeper of the peace who watches from above. It is evident that Hamlet greatly loved his father and is stunned by how his mother quickly moved on after his death to marry Claudius who Hamlet refers to as a satyr. Hamlet depicts Claudius as a satyr, which in Greek mythology is a half human and half goat creature that indulges in drinking and lust. These allusions prove to us how much Hamlet loves his old father...
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...The significant religious overtones in the novel The Old Man and the Sea. This novel is only 26,500 words but it teaches and gives us an extraordinary look on life and its troubles. The Old Man and the Sea was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway. Hemingway’s story won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize in Literature. The American Academy of Arts and Letters also rewarded him with the Award of Merit Medal in 1954. At first sight, the story seems to be the utmost easy novel of an old fisherman named Santiago, who set out to sea to fish. Unfortunately, for him, his luck runs out on that mission. Yet through his faith and perseverance, he comes out victoriously. The novel is enriched with significant religious overtones such as the characters, events and symbols, which have created a deeper meaning. “The Old Man and the Sea has engendered some lively debate in literary circles. Critics have concentrated on everything in the novella from the verity of Rigel’s early evening appearance over Cuban skies in September (Weeks 192) to William Faulkner’s judgment that Hemingway discovered God while writing”(Bradford 158-62). “Biblical imagery literally abounds in The Old Man and the Sea according to Donald Heiney. Santiago as a Spanish name translates to Saint James, likewise San Pedro that translates to Saint Peter. James and Peter were disciples of Jesus. In addition, these disciples were fishermen in the bible precisely The New Testament. “Santiago...
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...to a wide range of people with different stories. Even in fiction stories, the authors bring this message in their writing. A drowned man affects a village and changes it forever by his arrival. “The Most Handsome Drowned Man in the World” authored by Gabriel Garcia Marque communicates through the use of characterization, symbols, and allusion that an individual has the power to inspire people to change their lives. People can be inspired by others is developed through the use of the village’s dynamic characterization. To begin,...
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...books should all be available at your local library or bookstore (you may also order online). *If you do not already own a copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, you should get a copy. We will be referring to it throughout the year as we dissect and discuss literary works. ^^I have provided .PDF copies of these works through Edmodo. Please do NOT print copies of these works. #This book is a great resource to have for college, particularly if you are going to be an English major. To help you retain the content of the summer reading, annotate each work thoroughly and take analytical notes using whatever method works best for you. There will be a summer reading test at the start of the school year based on the Mythological Allusion list provided for you as well as on the plot and characterization found within MacBeth (it will be...
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...Figures of Speech (Stylistic Devices) What are stylistic devices? In literature and writing, a figure of speech (also called stylistic device or rhetorical device) is the use of any of a variety of techniques to give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling. Sometimes a word diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase has a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it. Examples are metaphor, simile, or personification. Stylistic devices often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the word "like" or "as". It takes the form of: * X is (not) like Y * X is (not) as Y * X is (not) similar to Y Examples of simile: * He fights like a lion. * He swims as fast as a fish. * He slithers like a snake. * "My dad was a mechanic by trade when he was in the Army, When he got the tools out, he was like a surgeon." What is a metaphor? Unlike simile, metaphor (from the Greek language: meaning "transfer") is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things not using like or as. In the simplest case, this takes the form: X - is - Y Examples of metaphor: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; (William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2/7) Example: “Henry was a lion on the battlefield”. This...
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...Look at your man then look at me, then look at your man then back at me again. That is the opening statement of the person advertising old spice. The commercial sells a male scent product called “old spice.” The scent is supposed to motivate men to achieve greater economy and social status as stated by the person advertising the body wash. The main character is a well-built man with a deep voice who I believe got used so as to keep the women addressed interested in the commercial hence the use of an attractive man. Smell like a man has been used to emphasize how a real man should smell like and not like a woman. The scene opens with the man in the shower then transitions into a boat and finally on a horse. The transitions are made and the person using “old spice” may have achieved all this by using the scent. The scenes are also beautiful and appealing, and they motivate the viewer and more preferably the women to encourage...
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...“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is about a hanging of a man. Ambrose Bierce wrote the short story, talking about Peyton Fahrquhar. Fahrquhar was hanged for trying to torch a bridge during the Civil War. Bierce had a goal to keep the reader interested; he achieved his goal by using many literary techniques. Ambrose Bierce provided a shock factor in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, that foreshadowed the ending through symbolism, allusion and irony. Symbolism was used to help the reader understand the short story. Ambrose used the watch, the timber, and the color gray to symbolize multiple things to give the reader a clue that Fahrquhar was dying. The watch that was used in the story...
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...1) Siddhartha- Hermann Hesse A) Archetypal Criticism: Hermann Hesse has incorporated numerous symbols, metaphors and allusions into his work to help the reader understand the story of Siddhartha better. Similarly, Archetypes are also present in this book. The main Archetypal character in the book is Siddhartha. He is a seeker who wants to experience a better, more authentic and more fulfilling life by achieving enlightenment. He fears being trapped and is true to his soul. For example, he leaves the Brahmins, the Samanas and Gotama Buddha in pursuit of more knowledge to fulfill his desire of gaining enlightenment. Similarly, Vasudeva is also another Archetypal character in the story. He serves as a counselor towards Siddhartha and is a role model to him. For example, in the chapter “the ferryman” Siddhartha surrenders to Vasudeva his entire self, even his clothes, in order to follow his example in leading a life of calm fulfillment and wisdom. Along with archetypal characters, archetypal symbols are also present in the book. The River is definitely the most influential archetypal symbol in the book. It represents the flowing of time and transitional phases of the life cycle. For example, whenever a great transition occurred in the book like when Siddhartha left Gotama Buddha and also when he abandoned his wealth he came to the river. When Siddhartha observed the river he learned that the river exists only in the present, it is everywhere at once, upstream...
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...When War is Honey in Wasabi A wise man once said that “It is sweet and glorious to die for one's country”, but over the years war has proved him wrong and with the poem “Dulce et Decorum est” Wilfred Owen wonderfully explains why he is wrong. “Dulce et Decorum est” is about a World War I veteran who tells the reader about an incident where the narrators company is ambushed by mustard gas and one of his allies die gruesomely. In “Five Day Requiem for Vietnam” by Nan Braymer, the author tells the reader about the Vietnam War and how the people did not want it to occur but the government made it happen. Both “Five Day requiem for Vietnam” by Nan Braymer and “Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen use of allusions to show the good and evil to convey the theme that human nature has many facets and complexities, but Braymer...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne will most likely still be clear in my mind. This story is about one Puritan man who struggles internally with reality vs. imaginary and good vs. evil in an era and society that was so religious-oriented. It makes you wonder about hypocrisy that still goes on today. It’s no wonder “Young Goodman Brown” is considered a classic and with good reason too. The story contained symbolism, irony, and allusion. Its main theme could still be applied to issues in the modern day world. “Young Goodman Brown” takes place in a New England town during the 17th Century, a time when Puritan beliefs where still very much in practice. In the beginning of the story Brown is already burdened with guilt at the fact that he has lied to his wife, “Faith”, about going to a secret meeting in the woods. Faith, is not just a name, but is symbolic for what Brown is struggling to hold on to throughout the story. Her pink ribbon signifies innocence which can still be spared and she pleads him to stay. It’s ironic that Brown constantly tells himself he’ll turn back yet he never does. Brown is tempted and stunned by the sight of supposedly “pure” and well respected members of his town and of the church. Let’s not forget the mysterious old man that guides Brown through the woods. If you can remember Brown recalls seeing a snake that turns into a walking cane. I guess you could say this is a biblical allusion to Adam and Eve and Eve being tempted by the snake to disobey God. The roles in this case...
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...LITERATURE OF THE OLD ENGLISH AND THE OLD IRISH PERIODS (600-1100 A.D.) 1- OLD ENGLISH HISTORY AND LANGUAGE Initial literatures are spoken and that oral literature have been many amplifications, later appear the texts. Beowulf was oral first and then became written. There are lots of fragments written literally. Some texts were lost and now we only have fragments. These texts are writing in manuscripts, there weren’t books in that period. In particular there are four manuscripts that contain most of English literature: Cotton Vitelius, Exeter Book, Junius Manuscript and Vercelli Manuscript; they are from 10th century. However the poetry and the texts contain the literature from 9th century, but they originated in 7th century orally (all of them originated orally before they appear written). That manuscripts tell some things about the society of this period of time, so we know details of this century. This period is the Anglo-Saxon period, before them there were the Britons who were invaded by some different people. They spoke different dialects of old English, the stronger kingdom was Wessex, which dialect was the most important and it called “west saxon”. Beowulf was writing in this dialect. In 597 appeared the Christianization. This means that the English became Christian, it became familiar with the church language: Latin. Latin is the culture language. The entry of Christianity is the entry of the culture in Britain. 2- WRITTEN RECORDS OF THE ANGLOSAXON PERIOD ...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. was a sensational speaker. He has a way with words. A way that can sway you and your view of things. In “ Letter From Birmingham Jail”, it is clear this effect is not sacrificed in his writing. King may not have known the specific literary actions he has taken, however, he did an excellent job of y]using rhetorical devices to get his point across. In “Letter From Birmingham Jail” by MLK, King uses rhetorical devices such as, rhetorical appeals, metaphors, and allusions to strengthen his argument in the letter. This letter was written to address the biggest issues of the south. King, through his use of rhetorical devices, to further support his argument. King’s most effective way of getting his point across was his appeal to emotion, credibility, and logic. This is also known as Ethos, Pathos and...
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...The Interaction between Imagery and Allusions in translating Chinese PoetryBased on Tu Fu’s Poems Shih-ying Liaw Prof. Wang Linguistics and Translation June 18 2012 Shih ying Liaw1 Shih-ying Liaw Prof. Wang Linguistics and Translation June 18 2012 The Interaction between Imagery and Allusions in translating Chinese PoetryBased on Tu Fu’s Poems Though Chinese poetry has been translating for almost a hundred years, there are still many questions about the translation strategies and situations worth discussing. In this paper, the interaction between imagery and allusions when translating are discussed and the practical situation used when translating are presented. To discuss the interaction between imagery and allusions, the first thing is to identify and define each term. First is imagery. Imagery is thought to be the most important factor to the poetry. I use Ezra Pound’s word as definition because he is not only a pioneering translator in Chinese poetry and also a great poet. He says that “an image' is that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time.” Further explanation is given by Professor Liu in “The Art of Chinese Poetry” by putting imagery into two categories. The first is “simple imagery,” which is defined as “a verbal expression that evokes a mental picture, which not merely picture in words but also arouses emotional associations and enriches the poetic context”. The Shih ying Liaw2 second category...
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...life itself.” (Daniel Goleman) In T.S, Eliot’s, the Wasteland, the modern city is depicted as dark and hopeless, lacking any passion and characterized by lifelessness. Through his bleak description of the modern day man, Eliot is able to express his feelings of disgust towards the modern world. He feels alienated from this world in which the living dead roam, communication has been butchered, gender identity has been lost, and the carnal human has come to rule. The modern world, he believes, is corrupt to the point of no hope. Through his use of allusion and descriptive diction Eliot creates for the reader this wretched and lifeless modern world through the looking glass of his own perceptions and emotions. Eliot believes that the modern world is in a state of Purgatory in which all humanity has been lost. He relates London to Dante’s Inferno. In the Inferno, Virgil guides Dante into the center of the earth where he finds the devil. In the devil’s mouth are Brutus, Cassius, and Judas, three great betrayers who will forever reside in the infernal world. With this allusion, Eliot is suggesting that Londoners are betrayers against the good of society; against what is right. The modern man is like a dehumanized drone wandering the wasteland in cyclical toil. Man walks around seemingly dead; however, not only are the people damned, but the modern city as a whole is damned. Similarly, in the movie, Chinatown, the dehumanization and objectivity of society results in an utterly...
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