In Rudy Francisco’s poem “Rifle II,” the author uses diction and irony to express resentment towards both society and himself. The overall message of the poem is clear: a criticism of the glorification of violence. However, it is harder to pin down Francisco’s exact attitude about how the glorification of violence has affected him personally. A closer examination of the language and devices he uses reveals an underlying bitterness about what society has made him into, and who he has become. Throughout the poem, irony is consistently used to illustrate the stark contrast between malevolent acts and the positive reaction such acts receive. In his first fistfight, Francisco says he throws “five pennies”—his fist—into a “fountain”—the other boy’s nose (lines 41 to 46). Throwing coins into a fountain evokes nostalgia and childish wishes, a far cry from what the imagery of a …show more content…
His family’s reaction is another example of this bitter irony: to them, the news of his victory in a physical fight is “artwork we hung on the fridge” (line48), and “a midterm / when all your answers are correct” (lines 50 to 51). This is precisely the opposite of a nurturing environment that promotes goodwill towards others, which one would expect, and is instead painting a picture of a dark, hostile homeland that one must fight to survive in. As a child, he doesn’t understand what this means, but this fistfight and its aftermath illustrate the turning of this boy into the rifle he becomes. He “has no idea what class this was / but [he] did know [he] was passing.” The way this is worded, it conveys a vague hint of brainwashing, and taking advantage of his
“The world is made up of two classes - the hunters and the huntees.” In the short story ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ which was written by Richard Connell there are two main characters, Rainsford and General Zaroff. Rainsford thought that General Zaroff wanted to hunt with him when in all reality General Zaroff wanted to hunt him(Rainsford) himself. Richard Connell uses irony, theme and characterization to develop the plot and characters. The use of these literary devices suggests that Connell wanted to make the story more interesting and suspenseful so the reader can enjoy reading it.
Of all the poetry that readers will encounter in Brian Turner’s anthology “Here, Bullet”, perhaps the most striking is “Eulogy”. Found on p. 20, it describes the real tragic death of Private Miller from self- inflicted gunshot wound on the 22nd of March, 2004, and, through its focus on the overarching tension between states of order and chaos, without making the error of passing judgment or jumping to definite conclusions, examines both the aftermath of Miller’s suicide and its possible cause. At the beginning of “Eulogy”, readers are confronted with the verse “It happens on a Monday, at 11:20 A.M.,”. This particular verse serves to que their attention and possibly inspires feelings of tension over what the mysterious event known as “It”
Throughout the short story “Soldier's Home”, Hemingway’s use of short syntax and repetitive diction conveys how when a soldier returns from war they often feel detached from the people and things around them. Krebs has returned from World War one, but later than everyone else, so they don’t seem to care for his stories, even when he lies. Before the war, Krebs wanted to drive the family car, but he was never allowed to. Now that he has returned from war, “it was still the same car” from when he left (Hemingway). Using short sentences, Hemingway demonstrates how after witnessing the intensity of war, the issues that used to be a big deal to Krebs are no longer of importance and he feels detached from the car. While walking through the town,
The purpose of this essay is to compare the of Wendell Berry’s essay, “The Failure of War”, Dorianne Laux’s poem, Staff Sgt. Metz and Damon Winter’s photograph of Sgt. Brian Keith. All three of these pieces represent the controversial issue of War which is a topic for a argumentative piece. In two of the written pieces the writer acknowledges the opposition, however, the picture the opposition is implied. Each piece has a purpose aimed at an audience with an emotional appeal.
Dalton Trumbo, author of Johnny Got His Gun, is known for his unique style of writing. Many acclaimed authors of books such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have a formal writing style , on the other hand, Trumbo’s is informal. It consists of short sentences and punctuation techniques. This writing style is what sets Trumbo apart from others because this writing style is difficult to execute and it is hard to apply to other works of literature. His book, Johnny Got His Gun has won the award for “National Award for Most Original Book”. This book is about a soldier named Joe who has become handicapped after a bomb blast and experiences flashbacks which reflect back onto his past and present time. The authors’ style of writing affects the way a reader interprets the story through the use of literary elements and literary devices. Fine
“This is true.” (O’Brien, 420) – with this simple statement which also represents a first, three-word introductory paragraph to Tim O’Brien’s short story, “How to Tell a True War Story”, the author reveals the main problem of what will follow. “Truth” – when looked up in a dictionary, we would probably find definitions similar to sincerity and honesty on the one hand, and correctness, accuracy or reality on the other hand. When looking at these definitions, one can make out two groups of meaning: While sincerity and honesty are very subjective, correctness or accuracy are supposed to be objective by nature. One can be sincere and still not report the truth, due to the simple fact
Irony is not always funny; verbal, dramatic, and situational irony are often used to assert truth or to add depth to an author’s writing. In Erich Maria Remarque’s book, All Quiet on the Western Front, the reader experiences years of life on the front of World War I through the eyes of a young German man, Paul Bäumer, who has enlisted with his classmates at the expectation of their schoolmaster. Remarque uses irony throughout his novel, best displayed in the names of the characters, the various settings, and in the deaths of the characters.
Since the beginning of time, humans have sought after power and control. It is human instinct to desire to be the undisputed champion, but when does it become a problem? Warfare has been practiced throughout civilization as a way to justify power. Though the orders come directly from one man, thousands of men and women pay the ultimate sacrifice. In Randall Jerrell’s “The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner”, Jarrell is commenting on the brutality of warfare. Not only does Jarrell address the tragedies of war, he also blames politics, war leaders, and the soldier’s acknowledgement of his duties. (Hill 6) With only five lines of text, his poems allows the reader to understand what a soldier can go through. With the use of Jerrell’s poem, The Vietnam War, and Brian Turner’s “Ameriki Jundee”, the truth of combat will be revealed.
The collection of poems “Theater”, “Water”, and “Safe House” by Solmaz Sharif shows the varied viewpoints of how war affects the speakers and how death is all too common in the midst of warfare. The author uses a spectrum of literary techniques to enhance the experience of the reader, so we can fully grasp the severity of each speaker’s plight. All of Sharif’s poems differ in form with the use of white space and indentations in “Theater”, colons in “Water”, and a style of abecedarian using the letter S in “Safe House”. While her diverse use of forms generate different emotions from the reader, they share the same notion of how violence is problematic. Each poem has a unique outlook to the sight of war: “Theater” being in the position of a victim and an assailant of war, “Water” explaining a war mission and fatalities in terse terms, and “Safe House” as an observer of an activist against war. Sharif’s strategy to exemplify the effects of how war affects the victim and the civilian is particularly critical because mass media tends to hide the collateral damage of war and only illustrates why we should attack the “enemy”. Another approach the author uses to critique the speakers central conflicts is by arranging words from the US Department of Defense 's Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, to concur with the message of the several ways war influences the lives of those who are unwillingly encompassed by it. Sharif uses poetry as an outlet to show the underlying tone
One of the main rhetorical devices evident within the short story is the use of dramatic irony, which Poe uses to foreshadow the climax of the story, which is Fortunato's death. For example, one of the most obvious uses of irony in the story is the name of Fortunato himself, which translates to “the fortunate one”. However,
Tom Lux’s “The People of the Other Village” was written shortly after the first Iraq war and gained popularity after the 9/11 attacks. The poem’s voice comes from an indifferent narrator whose unnamed village is at war with the people of an “other” unnamed village. The exact reason that started this war is unclear; however, as the war escalates, the battle tactics evolve and are depicted in an alternating line structure that mimics the back and forth nature of reciprocal violence. Ultimately, the author presents a poem that comments on human nature without committing to a judgment of that nature through subject matter, structure, and narrative voice.
They were babies, really – a teenage cousin, a brother of 22, a childhood friend in his mid-20s all gone down in episodes of bravado played out in the streets.”(paragraph.6) Staples uses personal stories of conflict and pathos to illustrate violence and the emotional/physical price it has on people and their attitudes.
Since the emergence of written history, many fables regarding war have encompassed a significant portion of prosodic literature. Two of the foremost war poets of the 19th and 20th century—Emily Dickinson and Rupert Brooke—have both written about profound implications of war on society and also upon the human spirit albeit in two very different styles. The book, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, theorizes through Allie, that Emily Dickinson was indubitably the superior war poet. Furthermore, when we analyze their works as well, we realize the invariable fact that Dickinson’s work delves into war with a much more holistic approach as well. She not only honours the soldiers for their valiant efforts, but also deftly weaves notions of liberty and civilian duty in regards to war as well as compared to Rupert Brooke who carried a romanticized imagery of martyrs within his poetry. In summation, Emily Dickinson is a superior war poet for her incisive analysis of death, and human nature in correspondence to war as compared to the patriotic salvos of Rupert Brooke’s poetry.
The gun narrates the poem and it takes pleasure in expressing its power to kill. The poem presents the challenge of identifying who the speaker is and who the gun metaphorically represents (Forman). To help solve this riddle, Angela Estes asks, “For whom in the nineteenth century would pleasure and power be problematic should they be expressed?”. A female speaker is the
Throughout ‘The Gun’ the poet uses numerous methods to convey her changing attitude towards the violent themes associated with bringing a gun into a household as she becomes more acquainted with the new weapon and it acts as the gateway between power and pleasure.