Figurative language that it’s meaning is not the literal meaning of what is written. Figurative language usually has a deeper meaning on another level, usually a metaphorical level. Lines that use figurative language, specifically metaphors and similes, if taken literally can make little to no sense. In Billy Collins’ poem “Introduction of Poetry,” figurative language is used, specifically smiles, to compare the process of analyzing a poem to common ideas. For instance, Collins states “I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide.” The word like immediately implies that the line is a simile and reading poetry is compared to holding a slide up to the light. The line is not literally saying to hold the poem up to the light, but rather take the same approach mentally to analyzing it. In “Traveling through the Dark” the poet makes constant use of imagery as a form of figurative language to appeal to some of the five senses. By utilizing imagery, the poet invokes emotion in the reader, making the reader emotionally attached to the dead deer. Figurative language is a powerful device in poetry because it causes people to think beyond what is literally given to them on the page. It forces the reader to take their outside knowledge and apply to what is in front of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment