Basic figures of speech every aspiring writer should know

 

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Any veteran writer knows the importance of having a firm grasp on the basic figures of speech. Even when writing academic papers, the use of creativity in writing is very much welcome, and it adds a dimension that cuts through the monotonous structure of formal writing. John Eilermann St. Louis. 

On that note, here are some examples of figures of speech for aspiring writers to help get them started on their writing journey. John Eilermann St. Louis. 

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Simile

As one of the most basic yet most creative forms of figures of speech, a simile is often described as comparing one subject to another. Examples range from as bright as the sun, as dark as night, as cold as ice, and more. Veteran writers make things more creative by changing it up a bit. Instead of saying as dark as night, they say as dark as the infinite abyss. John Eilermann St. Louis.

Metaphor

Metaphors are a basic figure of speech that uses an object or a description to depict a different object but not literally. A heart of gold, the strength of a bear, the kiss of death, and more are examples of metaphors. However, using metaphors needs to be practiced to be delivered effectively and clearly. John Eilermann St. Louis.

Key tips on analyzing and critiquing poems

Analyzing poems can be a daunting activity for many a student, perhaps because a lot of them consider it cryptic and requires a need to get the so-called meaning. In this blog, Comparative Literature student John Eilermann from St. Louis offers some tips to better understand and critique this oft-elusive creature called poetry.

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Firstly, poems are rooted on heightened language. Part of how to best approach a poem is to understand that it always offers more than one layer or reading, and that to get its insight is not as important as getting the diction. It goes without saying that poems detest cliché, as the labor of the poet is to say things in a new way, often indirectly, often obliquely. In other words, no poem just reads like an essay. Note the opposite of the poetic is the rhetorical.

Appreciating poetry and having the faculty to comment on it may rest on first looking at the title and how it ties up to the body’s narrative. Is the poem’s story clear? Does the title offer a clue to its intent? If not, then maybe a good approach is to study whether its appeal is rooted in nuances with language use or noticing the images the render scenes. You may try paraphrasing it first.

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A lot of beginning readers get stumped by poems because they feel a pressure to comprehend immediately what it’s trying to say. This approach will just lead to guessing games. No interpretation is necessarily wrong, so long as its guided by what the poem implies. Meaning can wait; analyzing begins with reading the lines before resorting to the so-called expression of reading between the lines. 

Certain techniques will begin to open up if you prioritize diction and syntax. Focus on linguistic and figure-of-speech techniques employed. Insight can rest anywhere in the poem, not necessarily in the ending alone. Again, this is because a poem does not often offer a lesson, but simply comment on the human condition. In the end, meaningfulness is more important than meaning, adds John Eilermann.

John Eilermann is based in St. Louis, Missouri. He is currently pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature. The cross-disciplinary approach of the program he’s in enables students to take courses in philosophy, politics, culture, and the intersection of literature with history. Visit this blog for more musings and insights on poems and literature in general.

The persona is not the poet in poetry

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It’s not uncommon in poetry classes for students to equate the poet with the speaker or persona of the poem. But this shouldn’t be condoned. When, for example, Pablo Neruda says that “tonight I write the saddest lines,” it doesn’t have to be Neruda himself feeling the said sentiment.


The duty of poets is to make readers feel the poem, not just feel bad or good for the writer. The emotions being conveyed by poetry should be devoid of authorial intrusion. Sympathy is not as important in literature as empathy, of putting oneself in another’s shoes. And accomplished writers are guided by this quiet distance from their own work.


Often than not, those beginning to analyze poems think a poem with an I persona means that the narrative of poem happened to the poet in real life. But we must remember that poetry’s online instrument is language, and often their duty compels them to embellish narratives to heighten language. It’s not as though we’re saying that poets are necessarily liars, but poems aspiring for literariness don’t aim to capture truth per se, but to reach verisimilitude, a semblance of the true.

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Again, not all poems are biographical in nature, even when we read works by confessional poets like Sylvia Plath. Much negotiation happens with language to make the poems not just elaborate, exposed diary entries but works we can truly relate to. Poems after all, according to the Neruda-inspired film Il Postino, “belong not to those who write it, but to those who need it.”


Hey, what’s up? My name is John Eilermann, a Comparative Literature major based in St. Louis, Missouri. Long before I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in this field, I’d already decided to become a lifelong learner. Comparative literature provides me with many multidisciplinary approaches. Follow me on Facebook for more writing tips and insights.