A poem conceals lot more than what it reveals and it bears the most efficient and gracefully sensitive use of language. Phonology is the study of sound systems and the multiplicity of meanings in a text represented through ingenuity in the application of sound patterns. Peter Roach (2000) described phonology as the way “phonemes function in language and the relationship among the different phonemes” . Phonology explains the patterns in which speech sounds are ordered in English into a scheme. Phonology basically deals with the sound patterns, the rhyming scheme and pronunciation of words in the sentence. Rhyme elements, alliteration, consonance and assonance are some of the phonological devices a poet applies to bring in various layers of meaning in his verse. This paper is a close scrutiny of the phonological devices appropriated by A. K. Ramanujan in his poetry that render them replete …show more content…
Mother gives them milk (/m/) in saucers. She watches them suck (/s/) The snakeman wreaths their writhing (/r/) round his neck The clickshod heel suddenly strikes (/k/) and slushes on a snake: I see him turn (/s/) Similarly the poem ‘A Minor Sacrifice’ bears examples of cacophonic alliterations that depict the children’s repentance at their sense of the sin of killing the grasshoppers nastily. to scrub and scour with coconut fibre till the skins of our palms come off There are some other examples where Ramanujan employs consonance, especially in the last consonant sound of words. This imparts some of the poems with a lyrical feel. • I burned and burned. But one day I turned (/b/, /d/) and caught that thought (/t/) • I shook a little and took her, behind the laws of my land. (/k/, /l/) The consonance in the above lines occurs with a repetition of the plosive sounds /b/, /d/, /t/ and /k/. These sounds reverberate in the rebellion tone of the poem wherein the poet expresses his defiance against some of the stagnant orthodox ideologies of his native
Poetry is a unique form of literature. Poetry uses the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language. To evoke meaning, poets use various forms word manipulation; phonaesthetic, sound symbolism, and metre are often used. The word “phonaesthetics” derives from two Greek words, phone which means, “voice-sound” and aesthetics. Sound symbolism is the partial representation of the sense of a word by its sounds.
Since the poem is a Blues, the phonological structure of the text is of great importance and at the same time it cannot be expected to find many regularities. This assumption can be validated at first glance: There is no veritable rhyme scheme. On the other hand, there two dysillabic internal rhymes {\tql}bunch, hunch{\tqr} (l.1) and {\tql}sputter, gutter{\tqr} (l.2-3). Still the author uses a lot of other sound patterns as for example Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance and Onomatopoeia. For each only one or two examples are given due to their high occurrence.
In Walt Whitman’s “By the Bivouac’s Fitful Flame” we see the poem being narrated from the perspective of a soldier in war who is settled on the floor as a procession winds around him. This soldier has experienced horrifying events from the battles and has lost many things because of it; nevertheless he continues the fight and soothes himself with thoughts of his loved. Whitman uses the word procession three different times in this poem and they all refer to the same type of procession because of the homogeneous terms he uses to describe each, because of the events he describes around him and his reference to the procession as thoughts. They all refer to the same procession because of the almost identical terms he uses to describe each.
By using the figurative language of alliteration, allusion, and personification in the poem “ New Day’s Lyric”, author Amanda Gorman emphasizes the theme of unity in today’s society. Amanda Gorman uses alliteration of repeating the same sound in lines to show unity. In line 5 of the poem states “Torn, we come to tens.” This illustrates alliteration by repeating the t sound the author puts more emphasis on words showing unity.
The feeling of astonishment and awe are directed into the speaker’s impersonal tone. During the poem, the speaker leaves out emotional ties in
He uses many rhetorical devices such as rhymes, metaphor, repetition, alliteration etc… Firstly, the whole poem’s structure is structured in a poetic way using rhyme schemes. He uses words like “dreamed” and “schemed(line 6 and 8), “wreathe” and “breathe”(
The literary device that seems ubiquitous in this poem is alliteration. The first one found in lines 633-634, “ still brave, still strong/ And with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast.” The “S” sound is repeated. Another example of alliteration shown is on lines 717-718.
Poetry is an important part of literature which conveys an author 's ideas across to the reader through the use of descriptive language. Poetry helps an author to express their inner emotions and often incorporates various poetic devices which enriches the text. Poetry gives the reader a different perspective and when read closely, can give the audience a look into the authors imagination. Likewise, poetic devices enhance the writing and can drastically change the mood of the poem, as well as, how the reader interprets the poem. Poetic devices are important in literature because they help to convey a message, add spontaneity to a poem, and give the reader a strong visual.
The gentleness of these sounds emphasize the focus of the loving relationship between the father and the son, as the father is willing to make an ultimate sacrifice-- protecting his son, but at the same time being hit with all of the difficulties in life. As well as emphasizing that point, the letter “S” mimics the sound of rain falling, further intensifying the image and somber mood. However, in the latter stanzas, the sounds used are more harsh, such as the “d”, “g”, and “r” in “if we’re not willing to do what he’s doing/with one another”. The sounds emphasize the way the mood makes a sudden turn to the serious, connecting to the overall theme of being kind to others. Nye uses the harshness of those consonant sounds to draw a reader’s attention to the message of being kind, effectively conveying the seriousness the need for kindness is.
Regardless of this, the poem is famous for its unique rhythm and meter of poem. The poem flows very smoothly but does not have a specific poetic foot. Consonances were used to help the rhyme scheme sound more pleasing to readers. The poets diction was exclusive and out of the ordinary.
Some poems may have a strict structural form while others may not. The writer can incorporate one of many poetic devices into his work to relay his message to the reader. Examples analyzed today include poetic sound, onomatopoeia, alliteration, rhyme, meter, and verse. An example of poetic sound, onomatopoeia, and alliteration can be found in Helen Chasin’s short poem “The Word Plum”.
Poetry Explication: “In a Library” by Emily Dickinson The poem “In a Library” was written by Emily Dickinson as an expression of her love of books, and the way they can transport her. Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830. Emily Dickinson was born and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts.
It has an iambic metre and the rhyme scheme is a cross rhyme throughout the poem. The first stanza offers a good insight into the theme of the poem. It is built up on statements which contradict each other. '[Thick] ' (l. 1) and '[thin] (l. 2), for example, are attributes used to illustrate love in comparison to forgetfulness. However, as
This example of repetition is carried throughout the poem for emphasis, and the reader’s recognition of the truth behind the words. There is also parallelism that plays a significant role within
The aspects of poetry vary throughout different poems.