Word
Alliteration
Definition
Using the same constant
sound at the beginning of a
line that is stressed in any
verse.
Example
“The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,” (Romeo
and Juliette Act 2 at the beginning of Scene 3.)
Hinting to or referencing
another work in a literary
work.
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth
on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created
equal."
—Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address
Ambiguity
Unclear, broad statement
that cannot be determined
from what has been
expressed.
“O rose, thou art sick!”(1)
Anaphora
repletion of a word at the
beginning of subsequent
lines.
:” I'm tryna learn somethin new
I'm tryna better my chances of becoming a star
I'm tryna feel the vibe of Mona Lisa, studying art”-Cut You
Off;Kendrick Lamar
Aphorism
A concise statement or
saying.
“Even a small lighter can burn a bridge”- Don’t Kill My
Vibe;Kendrick Lamar
Allusion
Function
The using of the consonant
sounds adds to the flow of the
literature and creates a sound
that is good to the ear.
His referencing of the
constitution shows a contrast to
what was going on then and the
freedoms and liberties that were
given and the ones he wished
people to have now and to show
that things now are not the way
the founding father wanted
things to do. Allusion adds
contrast and deeper
understanding to literature.
In this case in this poem by
William Blake called the sick rose,
it is ambiguous because you
cannot tell weather rose is an
rose or rose is a person giving a
perfect example of ambiguity.
He does this for the effect, to add
to the flow of the song. The
repeated part also has more
meaning to the repeated part of
the prose.
This is an example of an aphorism
because the statement is concise
and short it also brings meaning
to the sentence because the
sentence means something small
can create something big or do
Apostrophe
A poem or verse directly
addressed to someone or
something.
“my little sister eleven, I looked her right in the face
the day that I wrote this song, sat her down and pressed
play”- Keshia’s Song;Kendrick Lamar
Aside
An actor’s speech directed
towards an audience, not
heard by other characters
"Im sorry to say that this is not the movie youll be
watching. The movie you are about to see is extremely
unpleasant.."- Lemony Snicket’s a series of unfortunate
events
Assonance
The repetition of similar
vowel sounds in the
syllables of subsequent
words in a literary piece.
“of prettiness, the wittiness of colors on my skin tone
My complexion in a direction I've outgrown” No
Makeup;Kendrick Lamar
Antithesis
The placing of word or
ideas together that are the
exact opposite to give
literature balance.
when the nights change
So do my nightmares too
I dream reality is my dream-All Along;Kid Kudi
Asyndeton
noun Not using
conjunctions where they
would usually be required.
Little Ms. Perfect
Sitting at the train stop
Red Nike high tops
Listening to hip-hop
While we were waiting
Started conversating
something big.
In this case he referenced that
the song was for his sister to hear
so she could learn something and
hopefully not make the same
mistakes and should learn from
the girl in the song’s mistake and
learn about how the world is.
They do this in films such as the
one in the example and plays to
give the audience further insight
on a characters inner thoughts
and happenings. It helps with
characterizations and brings
depth to a story
The repetition of the “I” vowel
sound in this song again adds to
the songs flow and because this is
a rap song that is important. It
also adds variety to how the song
sounds.
In this quote they compare two
things that are the exact
opposite. This not only provides a
contrast but It brings balance by
having it be not all a dream to
him. What he dreams is actually
real and vice versa.
In this song he is doesn’t use the
conjunctions to keep with the
flow of the song and it gives it
more of a poetic feel and it goes
along with the urgency of the
songs meaning which is he is
Before I got a name
Along came a train- Somewhere In Brooklyn; Bruno Mars
Ballad
A narrative with popular
origin written in song or
poetry
“How did you get here? Nobody’s supposed to be here!”
Nobodys supposed to be here; Deborah Cox
Bildungsroman
A work of literature that
deals with a person’s
personal or spiritual
development.
From all those times I didn't walk away,
When I knew that it was best to go,
Is it too late to show you the shape of my heart- Rise and
Fall; Craig David
Bibliomancy
Predicting the future
based on a passage from a
book. Especially the bible.
“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the
problems men face.”
Ronald Reagan
Connotation
noun what you need to
know in order to
determine what exactly
and in what context a work
is referencing something.
But we didn't mean the same thing i think
Broke my choux pastry heart
Guess life's, no picture post card-Choux Pastry
Heart;Corrine Bailey Rae
trying to find a girl he met one
day. This is a perfect example of
not using conjunctions where
they would normally be used.
This is a good example because it
is a quote form a narrative pop
song and is a direct example of a
ballad.
This song is about the effect of
the industy on the artist and how
it caused him to change as a
person being a direct example of
the term. This adds to the work
because it brings a personal
aspect to the music and shows
and expresses to the audience
exactly what the person went
through and what he felt and
how he grew and changed as a
person.
People use the bible to tell what
will happen in the future and to
tell what will come of all their
actions. This is an example of
that. Someone who thinks the
answer of all the worlds problems
are in the bible practice it
directly.
This is an example of connotation
because you need to know what
a choux pastry is in order to
understand the personification of
the pastry which is very fragile
and calling it your heart. That
Cacophony
Harsh, loud, confusing
noise. Can also be used to
describe poetry.
“But I notice that her heart resides next to bitterness
Always hollering who she don't like, and who she kick it
with
Who she wanna fight, who wearing a weave
Who Dooney & Bourke bag is fake, who holding the keys
to the car she drove last year…”-Cut You Off;Kendrick
Lamar
Caesura
noun a break or pause
(usually for sense) in the
middle of a verse line; a
pause or interruption (as in
a conversation)
“My jaw dropped,(pause) I felt my heart stop.
She's flaw to flaw
This girl’s so raw” Im A G;Lloyd
Conceit
An outlandish, poetic,
elaborate comparison of
dissimilar things
“I got a firearm fetish
Fascination
Infatuation
Yeah, for my heater
Raise the temp, give them fever
How I wish I could hold I could squeeze her
We make them reach for the sky
Laugh, make them cry
but love you till I die
So they can test our trust
brings a deeper meaning to the
song and makes it make perfect
sense.
This shows the harsh discontent
this person has with the other
person whom is always talking
down or complaining about
something which is harsh or
unpleasant. This is a good
example because that is one of
the prime characteristics of a
poems described cacophonous.
This added to the feeling of
negativity that the artist is trying
to express.
This was a example from a song
about how a boy saw a girl and
fell for her instantly. This is a
good example because usually
when you have moments that
take your breath away and your
jaw drops everything just stops
and pauses so the pause is there
because it makes sense.
In this song a woman whom this
man has love for is compared to a
gun. This is an unusual
comparison because women
aren’t usually compared to such
aggressive and manly things such
as firearms. This adds to the work
because it is newer analogy and it
makes for a more interesting
piece of work.
But they'll never get the best of us –My Piece;Miguel
Consonance
Repetition of consonant
sounds at the ends of
words.
“I love the way you, put it on your eyes
The roses on your face light up the sky” No Make
Up;Kendrick Lamar
Chiasmus
words or concepts
expressed in reverse order
"Nice to see you, to see you, nice!"
(catchphrase of British TV entertainer Bruce Forsyth)
Denotation
Most specific meaning of a
word or idea or expression.
I'm your hero, hero, defender, protector for you
For you, for you!-Hero;Miguel
Didactic
Something that is made in
order to teach a lesson.
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime- Lose
Yourself;Eminem
This comes from a rap song about
how a man would like that the
woman not wear makeup that
day because she is already
beautiful. The consonance adds
to the flow of the music and
helps keep the lines memorable
and keep the pattern.
In this case the use of chiasmus is
to show the cleverness in which
changing the order of the words
effected the meaning of the
sentence. How not only was it
nice to see the individual it was
nice to see that the individual
was doing well or in his case nice.
This song was about a man who
wanted to be a woman’s “hero”
as to save her and protect her
from any and everything. That is
the exact definition of a hero and
exactly what a hero does making
him seem like a great man and
using the exact meaning of the
word making his point extremely
direct.
This Is an quote form a song
about taking chances because
they only come once in a lifetime.
This is a good example because
not only is it supposed to teach
that lesson but it is supposed to
Dues-ex-machine
Dramatic irony
Ekprastic
Enjambment
Unexpected power or
event saving a hopeless
situation.
"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of
man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise
friend called Piggy." Chapter 12, pg. 184
The meaning is understood
by the audience but not by
the characters in a literary
work.
Example: “We will go back. Your health is precious. You
are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as I
once was. You are a man to be missed.”- Cask of
amontillado; Poe
Dramatic description of a
work of art.
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul – Starry
Starry Night;Don Mclean
It is the run on sentence of
poetry, words or ideas
continue into the next line
or verse without pause.
Truth told, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense
But I did five Mil, I ain't rhymed like Common sinceMoment of Clarity;Jay Z
have entertainment value.
This is a quote from the book lord
of the flies. This book is about a
bunch of boys who crash landed
on an island and were stranded.
In the end a plane randomly flies
by and they are saved. This is a
perfect example because the
plane was completely unexpected
and it saved the boys in their
seemingly hopeless predicament.
In the story the Cask of
Amontillado the main character is
to be killed by Montresor. It is a
good example because he kept
making masked statements about
Fortunato’s death and how he is
to be missed when we the
readers know that all the while
Montresor is plotting against him
and planning his death.
This song is a example of this
because it is based on what the
person saw when he looked at
the painting starry night by Van
Gough. It described in detail its
color and the feeling it evoked
when seeing it in dramatic detail.
The example comes from a rap
song. In rap music you have to
flow and make sense and in using
enjambment you are able to
complete your thoughts and are
allowed to keep your flow just as
Epigram
Idea is expressed in a
clever or amusing way.
Usually a short saying.
“You don’t miss your water till the well runs dry”-You
don’t miss your water;Craig David
Euphony
Sweet sounds.
- I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a styleKilling me softly;The Fugees
Extendedmetaphor
An extended analogy of
two things.
‘I like you
Can’t see myself without you,
My sweet hazel,
Girl, i think im in love” Hazel;Lloyd
Flashback
a look into the past of a
character in the middle of
the current story.
“If anyone finds this, it means my plan didn't work and
I'm already dead. But if I can somehow go back to the
beginning of all of this, I might be able to save her.” The
butterfly effect
in poetry.
This quote comes from a song
about how you don’t miss having
someone until they are gone. He
expressed this idea in a short way
saying you don’t miss water until
there is none. This brings depth
and makes the idea easy to
remember and lasting in the mind
of the reader.
This whole song is an example of
euphony because the entire time
she is talking about a boy singing
this song and it being so amazing
and touching that it affects her
emotionally and deeply.
The song hazel is actually about
the writer in his love for
marijuana. This song is an
extended metaphor because he
compares this drug to a woman.
He gives it human qualities and
expresses it in an extensive and
elongated manner. It gives
deeper insight to how he feels
about this drug.
In the movie The Butterfly Effect,
Evan the main character has
flashbacks throughout the course
of the movie. These flashbacks
provide a greater understanding
the position Evan is in and why
and how he got there. It gives you
a greater and more complete
Form
the way in which a literary
work is written
In fact, I remember back in fifth grade
I tried to read the book of love, but sadly
The introduction didn't grab me
So I left it on the shelf and kept moving-Sloppy Love
Jingle;Gym Class Heroes
Foreshadowing
A literary device which
hints at a future event that
may take place.
Fred left the house at eleven o'clock and drove into town.
He was meeting his father for lunch at Brown's. Officially,
they were just 'catching up', but they both knew Fred
needed money again - and not such a small amount this
time, either. , http://www.novel-writinghelp.com/examples-of-foreshadowing.html
A literary genre which is
described by its dark and
gloomy theme.
An extreme exaggeration.
The cartoon Making Fiends
The mental image that
comes to a readers mind
during the course of their
“The winter evening settles down
With smell of steaks in passageways.
Six o'clock.
Gothic
Hyperbole
Imagery
“It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing jackets”,
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-ofhyperboles.html
understanding of the movie as a
whole.
In this example form is important
because this is actually an excerpt
from a poem called sloppy love
jingle. It is actually spoken word
and the fact that it is written In
the form of poetry gives it more
of a whole feeling without having
to give much of a background
story or extreme detail.
The foreshadowing an author
uses in their literary work gives
them the ability to at depth and
dynamic twist to their work with
grant that work more appeal to
the readers. In the example
above foreshadowing is used to
portray the fact that money is
going to be requested and that
something important has taken
place.
Literature that is often describe
as dark and gloomy
The Hyperbole is used to evoke
strong feelings and to create
strong impressions. In the
example above the reader is
supposed to be shocked because
polar bears don’t wear jackets.
Imagery is used to give the reader
a mental picture of what they are
seeing as well as to help the
reading.
The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
And now a gusty shower wraps
The grimy scraps
Of withered leaves about your feet
And newspapers from vacant lots;
The showers beat
On broken blinds and chimney-pots,
And at the corner of the street
A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.
And then the lighting of the lamps.” T.S. Eliot, an excerpt
from “Preludes,”
reader immerse themselves into
this poem. The highly descriptive
nature of this poem allows the
reader to visualize the
environment that is so skillfully
described in the poem.
In Medias Res:
ExampleFunction:
To begin a story in the
middle of itself .
The Lord of The Rings the Two towers
Function- This movie begins in the middle of this epic tale
as is true with all examples of in media res.
Isreal, David K. "5 Great Examples of in Medias Res Mental Floss." 5 Great Examples of in Medias Res Mental Floss. Mental Floss, 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Dec.
2012.
<http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21745>.
Juxtaposition
Two objects or ideals that
are near each other but
contrast.
Light and Dark
In the Odysseys, the reader
begins in the middle of the story,
or the climax, rather than the
very beginning. By doing this, the
author is able to flashback
throughout the story giving
details about events that has led
to the reasoning of why the
characters are in the state they
currently are in the middle of the
story where the readers began.
in this example both of these are
closely related, so close in fact
that they do cannot exist without
each other
Litotes
An ironic statement where
something positive is
expressed using positive
words but in a negative
way opposite meaning.
"Oh, you think you're so special because you get to play
Picture Pages up there? Well, my five year old daughter
could do that and let me tell you, she's not the brightest
bulb in the tanning bed."
(Allison Janney as Bren in Juno, 2007)
Malapropism
Using a word in place of
Michelangelo painted the Sixteenth Chapel,
A malapropism is the misuse of a
another similar sounding.
http://www.fun-with-words.com/malapropisms.html
Metaphor
A comparison between two
words without using “like”
or “as”.
“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day,”
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-ofmetaphors-in-poems.html
Metaphysical
Poetry based on abstract
logic usually scientific in
nature.
These little Limbs,
These Eys and Hands which here I find,
This panting Heart wherwith my Life begins;
Where have ye been? Behind
What Curtain were ye from me hid so long!
Where was, in what Abyss, my new-made Tongue?
When silent I
So many thousand thousand Years
Beneath the Dust did in a Chaos ly,
How could I Smiles, or Tears,
Or Lips, or Hands, or Eys, or Ears perceiv?
Welcom ye Treasures which I now receiv.
I that so long
Was Nothing from Eternity,
Did little think such Joys as Ear and Tongue
To celebrat or see:
Such Sounds to hear, such Hands to feel, such Feet,
Beneath the Skies, on such a Ground to meet.
word that is often comedic in
nature. In the above example
instead of Sistine chapel, it is the
sixteenth chapel.
The purpose of the metaphor is
to make a comparison between
two things. The metaphor is
characterized by its use of the
phrase as to or the word to make
a comparison. In the above
example, the metaphor is used to
compare a person to the quiet
beauty and comfort of a
summer’s day.
The metaphysical literature is
used to express something that is
otherwise unable unexplainable
by general logic and thinking.
New burnisht Joys!
Which finest Gold and Pearl excell!
Such sacred Treasures are the Limbs of Boys
In which a Soul doth dwell:
Their organized Joints and azure Veins
More Wealth include than all the World contains.
From Dust I rise
And out of Nothing now awake;
These brighter Regions which salute mine Eys
A Gift from God I take:
The Earth, the Seas, the Light, the lofty Skies,
The Sun and Stars are mine; if these I prize.
A Stranger here,
Strange things doth meet, strange Glory see,
Strange Treasures lodg’d in this fair World appear,
Strange all and New to me:
But that they mine should be who Nothing was,
That Strangest is of all; yet brought to pass.,
http://telescoper.wordpress.com/tag/metaphysicalpoets/
Metonymy
To use a different name
when referring to
something.
The "pen" stands in for "the written word"
The "sword" stands in for "military aggression and force,
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples/examplesof-metonymy.html
In this example two objects that
are being related to what they
are often associated with
Motif
Reoccurring structures or
devices that reinforces the
main idea of a piece of
literature.
A phrase that uses two
StarWars
The motif in this epic is the return
of the dark side and the rise of
the sith who threaten to take
over the world.
The function of the oxymoron is
Oxymoron
virtual reality, http://www.fun-with-
words that contradict each
other in the same phrase.
Parallelism
The repetition of sentence
structure in any literary
work for a rhythmic effect.
Paradox
A statement or phrase that
contradicts itself.
Paralipsis:
Literary device that
emphasizes something in a
nonchalant manner.
Periphrase:
A drawn out and indirect
phrase.
Periodic
Structure
A structure that holds the
main clause till the end of
the sentence.
Portmanteau
words created by
combining the meaning of
two other words.
Pun/Paronomasia A play on words with more
words.com/oxym_example.html
to provide the reader with the
two extremes available to them
at that point as well as to express
the range of emotion that the
character may be feeling.
Jack hopes to visit his parents and see his old friends
The structure of this sentence is
when he goes home.,
repeated in two parts, part A Jack
http://fos.iloveindia.com/parallelism-examples.html
hopes to visit his parents and part
B see his old friends when he
goes home contain the same type
of sentence structure.
You can save money by spending it.
This statement contradicts itself
because in order to save money
you don’t spend it.
An example of a short paralipsis is: "It would be unseemly By under emphasizing the
for me to dwell on Senator Kennedy's drinking problem ,
importance what was said, in this
and too many have already sensationalized his
case they bring to light kennedy
womanizing, http://www.chacha.com/question/what-iswomanizing and drinking
an-example-of-a-short-paralipsis
problems without elaborating or
saying much about them.
"In the Lincoln [Neb.] Sunday Journal-Star a cow did not
In this example a cow gave milk is
give milk; 'the vitamin-laden liquid' came from a 'bovine
extended in an eloquent fashion
milk factory.' . . .
and does not directly state what
http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/periphrasisterm.htm is being spoken of.
- "In the almost incredibly brief time which it took the
The main idea of this sentence is
small but sturdy porter to roll a milk-can across the
at the end, that is the main clause
platform and bump it, with a clang, against other milkhas been held until the end to
cans similarly treated a moment before, Ashe fell in love." complete the whole though.
(P.G. Wodehouse, Something Fresh, 1915)
camcorder
this example is a combination of
the word camera and recorder.
If towels could tell jokes they would probably have a dry
the pun is used to express a play
than one meaning or that
sounds like another word.
sense of humor.
http://www.punoftheday.com/cgi-bin/disppuns.pl
Simile
A comparison of two words
using “like” or “as
My love is like a red, red rose.
Situational Irony
Contradiction in what the
audience thinks what will
happen and the actual turn
of events.
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge
Slant Rhyme
Words that sound the
same but don’t exactly
rhyme
“Lines written in Dejection” by William Butler Yeats:
When have I last looked on
The round green eyes and the long wavering bodies
Of the dark leopards of the moon?
All the wild witches, those most noble ladies,..
Spoonerism
A mistake where the
speaker switches the initial
sounds of two or more
words for a comical effect.
“Runny had a firlgriend,
Her name was Sunny Bue.
He called her nots of licknames,
Like “Kitchy-Itchy-Koo.”
Sometimes he called her “Boney-Hun”
And sometimes “Dovey Lear,”
But he only called her “Peety-Swie”
When no one else could hear.” - Runny’s Rig Bomance by
Shel Silverstein
"Spoonerism« "The Perfect Student"" The Perfect Student
Spoonerism Comments. Northfield Mount Hermon, n.d.
Web. 03 Jan. 2013.
on words; in this case, the play is
that the towel, which is used to
dry things, will therefore have a
dry sense of humor.
the purpose of the simile is to
make a comparison. Similes are
identified by their use of like or to
make a comparison. This simile
compares love to the color of red
roses.
In this poem situational irony is
clear and evident because it is
clearly stated that there is water
all around but not a drop to drink.
It describes being in the ocean
with but unable to drink
The improper rhymes at the end
of the lines are what give this
form its slant, being seen
imperfect due to the difference in
the stressed vowels.
The author of the poem tell a
story about a bunny’s new
girlfriend named Bunny Bue who
has a lot of nicknames. A lot of
the names can be found with the
first letter switched out with each
other in the same line to add
comical effect to the poem
<http://jneill.nmhblogs.org/2010/03/28/spoonerism/>.
Symbol
an object or idea that
stands for something else.
Synecdoche
A figure of speech where a
part of something
represents the idea as a
whole.
Synesthesia
To mix different senses or
sensations in a description.
Who coming o'er against me, by degrees
Impell'd me where the sun in silence rests.
The Divine Comedy Canto 1 paragraph 5 line 13.
Verbal Irony
Irony in which the writer or
speaker says something
but means something
entirely different which is
usually the opposite. Often
seen in sarcasm.
“Now, by Saint Peter's Church and Peter too,
He shall not make me there a joyful bride.
I wonder at this haste; that I must wed
Ere he, that should be husband, comes to woo.
I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam,
I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I swear,
It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,
Rather than Paris. These are news indeed! “–Juliet,
Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 5
Shakespeare, William. "Romeo and Juliet." - Act 3, Scene
5 by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare-literature, n.d.
Web. 03 Jan. 2013. <http://www.shakespeareliterature.com/Romeo_and_Juliet/18.html>.
Verisimilitude
To appear true or real.
1984, Book 2 by George Orwell
Orwell, George, and Erich Fromm. 1984: A Novel. New
The sun "Lordy, how I hate to see that evening sun go
down," which implies that once the sun sets, death is sure
to follow. “That Evening Sun” by By William Faulkner
friends, romans, countryman lend me your ears.
Shakespere, Julius Caeser
Here the sun is used as a symbol
for safety and there is great fear
of what happens after it sets.
In this example the idea is that he
wishes for their attention
therefore ears is used in place of
the word attention and embodies
what he wants.
In this example synesthesia is
shown by the way the sun is
described, giving off a feeling of
coldness stating that the sun rest
in silence in the sky. This gives of
a feeling of erie danger because
of the chill he feels even as the
sun is overhead.
In this scene of the play, Juliet
finds out that her father has
promised Paris that Juliet will
marry him. Angry, Juliet tells her
mother that she will marry
whoever she chooses and that
when she is ready to marry, it will
be to Romeo who she says she
hates but in reality she loves.
In book 2 of 1984, Winston finds
himself beginning to believe in
York, NY: Signet Classic, 1961. Print.
Zeugma:
Example:
Function:
A figure of speech in which
a word is relevant to two
other words but in a
different way for each.
“Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through
sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
the idea that the secret society of
the brotherhood actually does
exist and is later sure of this
reality after his first meeting with
O’Brian and reading Emmanuel
Goldstein’s book.
The poem tells a story of a group
of soldiers marching on a battle
field during WWI through mud
and blood. The author uses
certain words in each line that
relates to others in but in a
different way for each word. For
example, when the author speaks
about a “haunting” flare, he or
she is referring to a warning
signal that is used during battle to
warn soldiers of potential danger
and also in a way that simulates a
ghost’s haunting because they
are being followed by the
thoughts and the ongoing chaos
that surrounds them with each
step they take.
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.” - Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen
Owen, Wilfred. "Dulce Et Decorum Est." By Wilfred Owen
: The Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 03
Jan. 2013.
<http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175898>.