Writing Gooder

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within the internal structure of a verse or sentence.  In fact, it’s one of the cornerstones of poetry, and the use of it is far more sophisticated than merely rhyming words.  Here’s an example from Robert Louis Stevenson:

The crumbling thunder of seas…

Note the repetition of the ‘u’ sound.  Here’s another one from e.e. cummings:

on a proud round cloud in a white high night

Note the ‘ou’ sound in proud, round, and cloud, as well as the ‘i’ sound in white, high, and night.

Using assonance is somewhat difficult as it requires careful contemplation of the words you are using, but the use of it will give rhythym to your poem and make it sound more sophisticated.  Try to come up with one yourself.

Apostrophe (É™-pŏs’trÉ™-fÄ“)  – a digression in the form of an address to someone not present, or to a personified object or idea, as “O Death, where is thy sting?”

Don’t worry if you didn’t know this existed, either. I didn’t. He told us at the beginning of the year, my teacher, but then I forgot. Finally, it has stuck in my mind. No, it isn’t the mark that I just put in the word “is not”. Be careful not to think it’s that–you’ll get giggled at.

Since the definition includes an example, I won’t have one for now.

Didactic (dahy-dak-tik) – intended for instruction; instructive.

On the AP American Literature test you will most likely see this word in refrence to Puritan literature, and more specifically, Johnathan Edwards. An example would be Edward’s Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God. The definition is self explanatory, I would say. Almost like a fable, but more direct.

I started to realize how many new words I learn in my literature class, and how many of them I didn’t know before at all. I thought it would be handy if I started a daily lit word sort of things. Note to all you AP Juniors: These are AP terms, too!

Caesure (si-ˈzyu̇r-ə, -ˈzhu̇r-) —A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line.

Example:

O powerful western fallen star!
O shades of night — O moody, tearful night!
O great star disappear’d — O the black murk that hides the star!
O cruel hands that hold me powerless — O helpless soul of me!
O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul.

From part Two of Walt Whitman’s poem When Lilcas Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.

So here’s an unusual literary term for you: Kennings.

A ‘Kenning’ is simply a figurative expression usually composed of two or three words, though not always, that is used in place of the normal noun for a person, place, or thing.  The best way to understand a Kenning is to look at some examples:

• Defender of the Realm instead of King or Emperor
• Storm of Swords instead of Battle
•  City of Love instead of Paris

They were often used during the Middle Ages, and understanding some works is impossible without understanding some Kennings (e.g., Beowulf, Le Morte d’Artur).  For a list of Kennings from Old English, see here on Wikipedia.

Can you come up with your own?  Remember, a Kenning has to be an expression, not just some words slapped together.  For example, saying “the black, monolithic screen,” instead of “computer monitor” is not a Keening.  But saying, “Zeus’ portal,” would be.

I want you to pick up a newspaper.  It could be paper or online; Drudge Report may actually be the best as it’s a collection of headlines, and that’s what we are going to look at first.Looking at the current issue of Drudge Report, I see the following headlines:

• Kid’s BBC Site Offers Curious 9/11 Explanation
• Iran Steps Up Crackdown Against ‘Immoral Activity’
• Ang Lee Bows To China and Self-censors Award Winning Film

What do these three headlines have in common?  I could have actually picked a lot more than just these three.  So what is it I’m asking you to look at?

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Last time, I covered similes and so it’s only fitting to go over metaphors this time around.

Similes and metaphors are both used as tools of comparison to relate an often abstract or convoluted idea with as few words as possible. They are most often employed in poetry, although you will find both used throughout literature.

So how are they different? A simile is the comparison of two unlike things, and so is a metaphor. However, with a metaphor, you are not merely comparing two objects, but saying they are equal in some way. A simile, by contrast, is just a comparison. Of course, if you see the words “like” or “as” employed, then it is most definitely a simile. Yet as I mentioned last time, not all similes use “like” or “as.” (follow the link for more as well as for a great example of an extended metaphor)

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The simile is perhaps the most easily understood literary term, and one of the first, if not the first, that you learn in elementary school. However, like most things, what you learn in elementary school just scratches the surface.

At its most basic level, a simile is the comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as.” For instance, “My dog is dumb as a doorknob,” is a simile. Also, “My dogs is like a doorknob,” is a simile as well. In both cases, we use either “like” or “as” while comparing dog and doorknob, which are two very unlike things.

Unfortunately, English teachers tend to emphasize the “like” or “as” part rather than the comparison of two unlike things. This is very important as a simile does not necessarily need to contain “like” or “as.” For instance, “Joe is madder than a bull,” is a simile. Why? Because you are comparing two unlike things; in this case, Joe and bull. However, in most cases, a simile will have “like” or “as.”

Tomorrow I’ll go over metaphors. In the time being, can you come up with any funny similes?

Verisimilitude is a perfect example of why it’s good to know Latin; the word comes directly from the Latin word “Verisimilitudo,” meaning probable or likely.  However, that’s a very obscure Latin word, and you would be much more likely to know that the root of “Verisimilitude” and “Verisimilitudo” comes from the Latin verb “Veritas,” meaning truth.  So if you don’t know the word but do have a basic level of Latin, you’d know right away that “Verisimilitude” has to do with “truth.”

If you were to say a book has a high degree of verisimilitude, then you would be saying that the book is very realistic and believable.   In this context, Star Wars has almost none verisimilitude, but Tom Sawyer has a ton.

In actuality, verisimilitude has more to do with how realistic you depict a script when acting it out.  For instance, standing inside a large wooden box and pretending it’s an elevator isn’t very realistic.  However, if you were to then attach a rope to that box and actually lower and raise it, then it would be realistic.

Hyperbole is another one of those famous literary terms and means to exaggerate, usually grossly exaggerate.  “He’s as big as a house,” or “I’m as hungry as a horse,” are two famous ones, but you can come up with them aplenty.  So try coming up with a few yourself!