The first literary device I noticed while reading “The Human Condition” by Howard Nemerov, is rhyme. Rhyming, in poetry, is defined as the repetition of syllables, usually at the end of the line. In this poem, it was the same. For example, in the very first stanza, lines two and three both rhyme with the last word. “Before” and “more” both rhyme and are at the end of the line. I think this is an effective literary technique because it helps the poem flow more smoothly together. When authors use this technique, it is usually for this purpose, to create a pleasing sound for the poem, to help it flow. As well, rhyming like this can also help to convey the mood and tone of the poem. The second literary device I picked up on in this poem is imagery. Imagery is described as a vivid and vibrant form of description that appeals to readers' senses and imagination. In this poem, the author uses imagery to give the reader a very vivid picture of the scene in his poem. For example, Nemerov uses excellent imagery in the second stanza when he talks about a scene of cars driving on a snowy road, “Through snow, along the snowy road, cars pass/ Going both ways, and pass behind the screen/Where heads of heroes sometimes can be seen/And sometimes cars, that speed across the glass,” (Nemerov, lines 7-10). In these lines, the author is using imagery to create a vivid picture of the scene going on. This is effective because it helps with the immersion in the poem and it helps the reader to visualize what is going on and connect with the story. Especially since we are in Canada, I could visualize a snowy road with cars passing, so I think the author used imagery well. The third literary divide I noticed in this poem was repetition. Repetition in poetry is defined as repeating words, phrases, lines, or stanzas. The author uses this literary device only once but I believe it is effective nonetheless. Nemerov uses repetition for the very first line and the very last line, “In this motel where I was told to wait/In this motel where I was told to wait,” (Nemerov, lines 1 and 24). Repetition is used to emphasize a feeling or idea, create rhythm, and/or develop a sense of urgency. I feel that this author uses repetition to emphasize a feeling and idea. The feeling of waiting and the whole theme of the poem, waiting in a motel. The repetition drives this point home Explanation. The first picture I chose was a picture of a snowy motel. I chose this picture for a number of reasons but I based it off of the lines about waiting in a motel, as well as the line about watching cars drive by on a snowy road. This motel obviously would have been in the snow. Along with this, while I was reading the poem, I imagined a pretty isolated motel, one without many people in it. As well, this poem felt like it was meant to be set at night, that is the feeling I got from it, so I was conscious of picking a picture with a motel in the dark. The second picture I chose was of the snowy road itself. I wanted to choose a picture that represented a quiet snowy highway, because from the description I feel this is all taking place in a motel that isn’t in a big city. It’s one of the motel’s you see on a long drive and wonder how anyone found it. There would be cars passing by on this snowy road and their headlights would come through the window intermittently and I think this picture represents that experience and description. The third picture I chose was a painted picture frame on an easel that perfectly matches up to the landscape behind it. Nemerov makes a point to explain a painting like this, that the cars passing behind the T.V. remind him of it. I chose this picture because I feel it accurately represents the painting he is referencing in the poem. The fourth picture I chose was a picture of the inside of a motel. This picture was chosen because of the way the author set the ood of the poem. I think the character in the story would have been waiting in a small motel similar to the picture shown, a dim but cozy atmosphere about it. The fifth and final picture I chose was one of a T.V. in front of a window. This television in front of the window was a very big theme in the poem and it was mentioned and described in great detail. I think it would have looked something like this. As well, the television obviously has great significance in the poem, so I thought it was important to include a picture for. Having a television in front of a window isn’t something many people do so it had to be there for a reason and this was the best picture I found for it. Sources MPKphoto. “Bedroom in a Cheap Motel Room.” IStock, https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/cheap-motel-room-gm470455101-35205534 Hackrea. “TV in Front of the Window: Is It a Good Idea?” Hackrea, 6 Sept. 2021, https://www.hackrea.com/stories/tv-in-front-of-window/ Motel-Register. “Register.” Motel, 2 Jan. 2019, https://motel-register.com/post/181637413614/motel-winter-neon “Picture Perfect! Amazingly Realistic Paintings of American Landscapes Appear to Blend into the Background.” Armenian News - Tert.am, 13 May 2020, https://www.tert.am/en/news/2020/05/13/artist-paintings/3288102 “Driving a Car on a Stock Footage Video (100% Royalty-Free) 20189926.” Shutterstock, https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-20189926-driving-car-on-highway-fresh-snow-tre es.
