ipl-logo

Literacy Devices In Dorothy Bradford's 'Landfall'

220 Words1 Pages
To produce a specific effect or emotion in writing, authors use literacy devices. Some literacy devices include diction, which depicts, emphasizes, and dramatizes an idea, and repetition which reinforces, emphasizes, and magnifies an idea. In Sophie Black’s poem “Landfall” she utilizes diction to emphasize Dorothy Bradford’s feelings of emptiness which parallels to the structural repetition that symbolizes Bradford’s tedious cycle towards overcoming hardships. Black uses diction to emphasize Dorothy Bradford’s feeling of emptiness which derives from her feelings of physical and spiritual exhaustion. While traveling to the New Word, Bradford “drags” her “useless and raw” body forward as she is forced to overcome struggles (2). By describing
Show More
Related
362 Words | 2 Pages

Her diction is the dance in motion: throughout the book, she says words that convey more than a mere definition, . For example, the use of the word “ghost” is used to convey not just a supernatural phenomena, but an outsider who

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the poem, the speaker also uses repetition, both of words and of sounds. “Blackberries for breakfast” he states, bring him great joy, and the alliteration in the phrase causes it to stick in readers’ minds. He even repeats himself in the first line of his poem – “I love to go out in late September” – and the conclusion – “eating in late September.” Repetition of the word “black,” however, has an even more conspicuous effect – “black art,” “black language,” “black blackberries” – and this repetition combined with the connotation of the word “black” drives home Kinnell’s theme: that words are not only “strengths,” they are also forbidden. Like “black blackberries,” language “falls almost unbidden to my tongue,” suggesting that in some way the language the speaker dreams of is both alluring and confusing, and that the speaker is still learning to use

Read More
901 Words | 4 Pages

Kelley’s diction adds a tone to the piece and allows her to get her message across with helping the reader understand more deeply . Kelley’s use of imagery, appeal to logic,

Read More
1130 Words | 5 Pages

Ella Bradford March 29th 2024 Independent Novel Study — Response #3 Birdie, Tracey Lindberg (all chapters). Write about a connection you made with the story. Something you’ve read that you have experienced or relate to.

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

He conveys the story’s themes and messages through metaphors and imagery. Consequently, the distinct use of language echoes the distinct themes of

Read More
1037 Words | 5 Pages

In writing, authors chose particular words and phrases to effectively convey their message or to engage the reader. Writer's word choices, also known as diction, can help communicate ideas, reveal emotion and opinions that they may have toward something or someone. There are many different levels of diction such as formal diction, used by Richard Rodriguez in his autobiography The Hunger of Memory, and neutral diction, used by Charles Bukowski in his novel Ham on Rye. The use of diction in these pieces make the stories come to life in the reader's head. Richard Rodriguez uses very formal diction in his autobiography,The Hunger of Memory, his words express his emotions and motives of being a writer.

Read More
352 Words | 2 Pages

For example, a repetition of sound “b” and “p” show the fear and the struggle together with the difficulty of the path that a person should go along to reach something new and positive. Using this technique, a reader can experience similar feelings as the main character does throughout the

Read More
690 Words | 3 Pages

Dillard implements imagery all throughout her essay, which gives the reader a clear picture of the events occurring. For instance, she describes her husband “gesturing inside a circle of darkness” as a result of him gradually travelling farther away from her (Dillard). Ultimately, the use of imagery in this case represents the loneliness the narrator begins to feel. The author also utilizes metaphors to get her message across. Dillard compares “grammar and lexicon” to a “decorated sand bucket and a matching shovel” because without the other, they will not be able to fulfill their purpose (Dillard).

Read More
487 Words | 2 Pages

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, born on September 24, 1825, was a leading African American poet, author, teacher and political activist. Although she was born to “free” parents in Baltimore, Maryland, she still experienced her share of hardships. She lost her mother at the tender age of three, was raised by her aunt and uncle, and fully employed by thirteen. Though all odds seemed against her, she triumphed over her obstacles, publishing her first book of poetry at the of age twenty and her first novel at the age of sixty-seven. Outside of writing books, she was a civil rights leader and a public speaker in the Anti-Slavery Society.

Read More
834 Words | 4 Pages

It is important to understand that different tones are created to support different themes, as revealed through both Rowlandson’s and Erdrich’s texts. Through specific diction, an author can achieve a captivating tone which will support the message the author is trying to communicate. Words alone are powerful, as they hold immeasurable value and meaning capable of leaving a lasting

Read More
997 Words | 4 Pages

In detailing the events that led up to her change in perspective, she made note of the honeysuckle that covered the walls of the well-house, the warm sunshine that accompanied going outdoors, and the cool stream of water that she felt as she placed her hand under the spout. These details kept the reader with her in the moment as she felt something less simple, but still universal; the returning of a, “ misty consciousness as of something forgotten.” In using rich diction, she maintained a sense of intimacy with the reader which allowed her to call on personal details from her own life and theirs. Later in the passage, she described how, once the reality of language was opened to her, and she returned to the house, “every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life.” She had gone through a complete shift of perspective, one that, to her, was felt entirely through senses other than sight or sound.

Read More
713 Words | 3 Pages

Mary Hill creates a tone of despair in Excerpts from the Trail of Tears Diary by using sensory imagery. In the text, the author uses sensory imagery when she

Read More
479 Words | 2 Pages

Additionally, the narrator realizes her consciousness is constantly changing as she “loves the thing untouched by lore…the thing that is not cultivated… the thing built up” (473). The narrator’s consciousness faces another struggle between trying to find equal good in both the culture of her people and the new culture that has been introduced to her. Yet, she stands boldly “one foot in the dark, the other in the light” (473), as she forms a bridge between the two cultures and is stuck while she tries to understand her sense of self. Finally, the silent voice, a metaphor for her faith, calls out to her.

Read More
634 Words | 3 Pages

Prose Analysis Essay In Ann Petry’s The Street, the urban setting is portrayed as harsh and unforgiving to most. Lutie Johnson, however, finds the setting agreeable and rises to challenges posed by the city in order to achieve her goals. Petry portrays this relationship through personification, extended metaphor, and imagery.

Read More
471 Words | 2 Pages

Her figurative language directs the audience not only to see the images of what she was observing, but also to fill our ears with the elaborate sounds. She brings her journal to life by using figurative language to carefully describe her emotional feelings. "Pay my respect”, “black coats”, “little cemetery", "unbelievable". Her description goes as follows; the sound of the construction site, the moist air of March, the touch of the aluminum being pressed, the taste of pastrami sandwiches being made and the sight of Ground Zero filled with its solemn visitors.

Read More

More about Literacy Devices In Dorothy Bradford's 'Landfall'

Related Topics

Open Document