Onomatopoetic words, such as the word “[b]uzz” in Dickinson’s poem, can be useful to achieve a particular aural effect; however, Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense” contains none. How does his poem still attain the very qualities that each line suggests? How do Pope’s allusions to classical figures (Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, Timotheus) provide depth to his poetic demonstration? Explain how another poem from this lesson makes use of sound imagery/effects to resonate or amplify meaning. 250-300 word response, due before class, lesson 5 (24/27 January).
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
en102.art.blog 
Alexander Pope manages to attain the different aural effects mentioned in “Sound and Sense” with clear imagery of scenes with distinctive noises. Pope states “when loud surges lash the sounding shore, the hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar.” A roaring torrent brings up the aural imagery of quickly-moving water, crashing into objects in its way. The use of “lash” also supplements this by providing the reader another aural point of reference, such as someone receiving lashes from a belt. Pope’s allusion to classical figures provides depth by providing distinctive imagery for the readers to associate with the desired effects he is trying to accomplish. The reference to Camilla, who was thrown across a lake tied to the back of a sphere, tells the reader how Pope wants to create an effect which the words flow smoothly “o’er the unbending corn.” This can be contrasted against when Pope wants the words to move slowly, and he creates the imagery of the heroic Greek soldier struggling to pick up a rock. The slow movement which the reader imagines Ajax moving to accomplish his task is reflected in how the poem is meant to be read at that point. With these references, Pope is able to create different aural effects and put the reader into specific states of mind causing the reader to read the poem how Pope desires. Uyematsu, in “Deliberate” breaks up the word syncopated so the word is read by syllables rather than as a whole. This unnatural way of reading and hearing the word in one’s head reflects how the way the speaker talked when they were younger was just as unnatural and forced as how the word is presented to the reader.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope’s poem still gives off an aural affect without using onomatopoetic words. By continuing the rhyme and rhythm throughout the poem, it makes the poem much easier to understand and amplifies the meaning behind what he is saying. He explains how the effectiveness in writing comes from art, such as rhyming throughout the entire poem. His allusions to classical figures give off a deeper impression of the point he intends to give off. He uses them to reveal just how important the use of sound and sense are to a poem. He uses them in an artful manner as he explains in the first line.
Another poem that uses sound to amplify meaning is “next to go of course America I.” When I first looked at the words that were the beginning of the Star Spangled Banner, I thought of the entire song came to my head. By using the lyrics from the national anthem , it reveals just how patriotic the author is. He even begins the poem saying that next to God, America is really his second love. Towards the end of the poem, it seems as if the author is talking about fighting in wars and how people died for our country and did not get a chance to enjoy their life.
LikeLike
In Alexander Pope utilizes alliteration, meter, and rhyme scheme to emphasize the lines in his poem. Pope’s poem is an explanation on how to match the sound with meaning, without using onomatopoetic words, and gives examples using classical figures. One of the ways Pope exhibits the deeper meaning is by using alliteration. For example, the “smooth stream in smoother numbers flows,” flows off the tongue, making it easier to picture in the reader’s head (Line 6). The over-emphasis of the “s” constant creates a relationship with wind, making not only easy for the reader to picture and comprehend, but also associate the letter and to wind. Pope also writes in Iambic pentameter, utilizing a rhyming scheme inside each pentameter. This flow of stressed and unstressed syllables makes the poem easy to read and engage with. The meter goes with Pope’s allusion to classical figures such as Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus, as it tells their story in a short rhyme. Zephyr is the God of the West Wind, and the lines 5-6 reflect that, talking about gentle “blows.” (Line 5). This is seen through all their stories, as they are utilizing sound to tell a deeper meaning. The poem “next to of course god America i,” by E. E. Cummings uses sound imagery to amplify its meaning as well. The poem incorporates the well known, “oh say can you see by the dawn’s early,” fragment of the Star-Spangled Banner. This gives a hidden beat to the poem, underlying the rhyme scheme that is over it. He also incorporates descriptive words like “mute” and “roaring” to exhibit a picture and sound the poem shows. Both these poems push out the underlying sound with deeper meaning.
LikeLike
In “Sound and Sense” by Alexander Pope, the author uses a plethora of poetic devices in order to convey the meaning of the poem to the reader. In general, Pope discusses the ways in which poetry should move the reader, specifically by the overall sound and flow of the line. This purpose is evident in the opening line, which reads “ True ease in writing comes from art, not chance” (Pope Sound and Sense). Here, he mentions how writing poetry is more of an art. This is significant because the rest of the poem demonsrates this idea. In the first half of the poem, Pope uses plenty soft-spoken words and phrases to keep the reader at ease. This was achieved through words such as “echo” and “smooth.” These words convey a sense of softness and gentleness. However, his choice of words switch into more abrupt and rugged phrases. For example, line eight reads “The hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar”(Pope). Clearly, Pope resorts to less polished and raw words to convey the meaning of each line. By reading these lines, the reader feels an internal shift from smooth speech to rugged, hoarse words, thus maintaining the qualities of the meaning without other devices. Later in the poem, he makes references to classical figures such as Ajax and Camilla. Ajax, a Greek warrior of superhuman strength, demonstrates the toiling nature of poetry. Camilla, one pf the fastest humans ever, convey the ever-fleeting nature of poetry when executed correctly. Another example of such is Tennyson’s “Break,Break,Break”(Tennyson). Here, the author makes references to slow dances such as the waltz to create a swaying tone, yet uses harsher words when mentioning being hit on the head.
LikeLike
Although “Sound and Sense” does not contain onomatopoetic words like “I heard a Fly buzz- when I died,” it still achieves a similar effect because of the imagery and tone that Alexander Pope uses. The continuous rhyming in the poem gives it a rhythm, flow, and sound. Pope’s choice of words are what give the poem the intended effect on the reader. Pope starts out by using words like “echo, soft, gently blows, stream in smoother” to give the poem a calm and peaceful tone. He then transitions to using words like “loud surges lash, hoarse, rough verse, torrent roar.” These harsh words help to emphasize what Pope is saying. His allusion to gods and goddesses also helps to give the poem a deeper meaning. For example, Pope refers to the Greek god Zephyr when he says “gently blows.” Zephyr is the god of wind, so alluding to him emphasizes the “gentle blows” Pope compares writing with. Another example is when Pope says “swift Camilla scours the plain.” This imagery gives the poem a deeper meaning and shows how writing should be smooth.
The poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas contains sound imagery which deepens the meaning of the poem. Thomas uses repetition, repeating the word throughout the poem to emphasize the idea he is conveying. Thomas uses repetition in another way as well by starting the stanzas with “wise men, good men, wild men, and grave men.” This gives the poem rhythm, making it more memorable for the reader. These techniques allow the poem and its meaning to resonate with the reader.
LikeLike
In the poem Sound and Sense, Pope uses words within the lines that we associate with sounds. For example, the word dance is associated with music, which the readers will associate to sounds. Other words like echo also have the same effect. Instead of only reading a word, the reader can associated the word with a sound. Although there are no onomatopoeia’s, these words carry a similar effect with them. Pope also uses structure and flow to help make the poem smooth in some areas and rough or harder to read in others. The couplet “Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows,
And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows” flows very smoothly. Pope purposefully uses Zephyr who was the Greek God of the gentle west in this couplet to help illiterate the smooth flow. Meanwhile, Pope also mentions Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus. These classical figures also add depth to the poem. Like Ajax, the lines he is mentioned around at bulky and hard to read. Ajax himself is a big man of lesser brains. Other poems such as “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died” use different aural effects. While Emily Dickinson uses onomatopoeia’s, she also uses dashes throughout the poem. The dashes likely represent the last breaths of a person on their death bed. Not only do the dashes represent struggles for a last breath, Dickinson also creates sound imagery through referencing heaves between the storm, as well as stillness in the air. Both of which force the reader to think about the struggle for a breath.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope achieves aural effects in his poem “Sound and Sense” without the use of onomatopoetic words by utilizing strong diction and imagery. Words like “echo,” “blows,” and “flows” paint a soft image of the “dance” that is writing poetry. He chooses these words to articulate the smooth ease of writing that flows through those that have mastered the art, and the soothing, gentle sound of the music to which these artists dance. These words stimulate the reader to a mellow tone and mood. In contrast, the following lines include words such as “surges,” “lash,” and “hoarse,” which trigger a comparatively more aggressive tone of voice. The connotation of each word contributes to a louder, courser image. The purposeful use of diction conjures specific feelings in the reader. Similarly, the use of allusions to classical figures has a similar effect. For example, Zephyr is the Greek god of the west wind, known to be the gentlest of all winds. Thus, this insinuates that the wind he blows is in fact extremely gentle and adds to the soft mood of the neighboring lines. Alluding to outside figures contributes to Pope’s legitimacy and deepens the contextual meaning of his work, emphasizing the emotions he intends to conjure in the reader. Similarly, in “Digging” by Seamus Heaney, the author uses strong diction to create a specific image of the digging that the speaker observes. Words like “rasping,” “gravelly,” “coarse” and “squelch” illustrate the process as hard, gritty work. The words amplify the speaker’s hesitant, begrudging feelings towards his decision to engage, properly emoting the reader towards the nature of the work. Word choice is vital in creating the author’s intended imagery and emotion.
LikeLike
Alexander Popes style of writing in “Sound and Sense” does not use the classic onomatopoeic words to create an aural effect, instead he uses the techniques of rhyme and allusions. Also, he matches the sounds of these words to the meaning of his overall message so that it makes sense, also using words such as “blows” and “flows” to paint the soft ease of mind he wants his readers in. Alexander Pope uses rhyme in a true sense to him, which he states in the line “The sound must seem an echo to the sense,” meaning rhyme is not to make the poem sound even better, but so that it matches the content to get the message across. Pope alludes to Zephyr to further stress the importance of how soft and smooth the gentle breeze is and in the next line he describes smooth streams and smooth numbers creating a imagery in the readers mind and sets the reader up for the juxtaposition of rough and roar that comes in the next lines. Pope uses historical allusions, like Zephyr and Ajax, to tie the reader to the time period that Pope is writing in, as well as a descriptive tool to further amplify the sense of imagery he is trying to create.. In “Funeral Blues” by W. H. Auden, Auden seems to force the rhyme to match his message instead of letting the message he wants to get across chose the rhyme for him. For example, rhyming white necks of the public doves to a policemen’s gloves. But, Audens use of imagery is constant throughout, and he does a great job of making it easy for the reader to picture what he is talking about, which amplifies the meaning by putting the reader in the same frame of mind that he is in.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense” is able to achieve the same aural effects as in Dickinson’s poem through his use of imagery and allusions. Pope uses words such as “echo”, “lash”, and “hoarse” when he creates his imagery and the reader can associate these sound-like words with the scene he created which achieves an aural effect. His choice of words also matches the tone he is trying to achieve throughout the poem. Another way he creates an aural effect is by the use of allusions through classical figures. By using these figures, he is able to indirectly set the tone for the readers at each different moment in the poem which provides another level of depth. Another poem from this lesson that makes use of sound effects is “My Papas Waltz” by Theodore Roethke. His poem is about a young boy who seems to be the subject of abuse from his father. He creates a waltz-like rhythm to his poem to create a deep tone. Although the young boy is being abused by his father, he still has love for him as they move about the kitchen fighting, almost like a waltz. In this poem, the lines are configured into an iambic trimeter. When the poem is read, there are both stressed and unstressed syllables that are read in threes. This rhythm the author created reflects the step counts in a waltz. So although he does not use onomatopoetic words, similar to Pope, he is able to achieve a certain sound and pace to match the depth he is trying to achieve in his poem.
LikeLike
The poem “Sound and Sense” by Alexander Pope is written in Iambic Pentameter. This allows a natural rhythm to form while reading the poem, allowing it to feel smoother and more connected. It also allows the reader to continue to read the poem without getting lost in the structure of it. The poem itself is written about how to write a good poem. This implies that the speaker of the poem is good at writing the poem. The speaker also demonstrates his proficiency in writing poetry by utilizing symbolism to amplify the effects of what he is saying. In the poem he states, “The sound must seem an echo to the sense,” implying that the word choice and sound must compliment the intended meaning behind the poem. Pope continues to show the effects of a good poem by alluding to the classical figures of Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus. Each time one of the classical figures is used in the poem, they are used to create vivid imagery to help show what a good poem is about. For example, the lines “when Ajax strives some rock’s vast weight to throw, / The line too labors, and the words move slow;” This creates imagery of Ajax, a strong warrior struggling to move a rock, which demonstrates the clumsiness of using words that do not go with the natural rhyme or flow of the poem. The poem “Inversnaid” by Hopkins also exemplifies some of these traits by using vivid imagery. Hopkins’ poem is about a flowing river and has multiple instances of distinct imagery that allows the reader to visualize the river. Additionally, the rhythm allows it to flow easily, which allows the reader to follow along and not get lost in the structure of the poem, much like Pope’s poem.
LikeLike
Pope’s poem, “Sound and Sense” manages to attain the very qualities suggested in each line without using the literary device onomatopoeia by making excellent use of diction and imagery. His choice of words such as “ease” relating to “easiest” and “gently” relating to “smoother” allow the reader to more easily equate one line to its parallel. Essentially, each set of two lines in his poem address a similar concept and use similar words to convey their meaning. Pope also uses the images and allusions to classical figures to paint a clearer image in the reader’s mind about what exactly he is trying to say. Using these known characters allows the reader to associate Pope’s message with a known action of the particular character in question, thus adding depth to the poem. One example of how this provides depth is Pope’s allusion to the mighty Greek hero Ajax who is remembered for his colossal stature and strength. Pope gives the image of Ajax “striving” to throw some large rock and compares this to how the poet will deliberately use slow, laborsome words to describe a difficult image, even as throwing a large rock may appear to be a difficult task even for Ajax. Uyematsu’s poem, “Deliberate” also makes use of good diction and imagery to convey meaning. Some examples of this are how she uses the words “paint” and “gangsters” and “flash our legs in nylons” and “sassy black high heel” to demonstrate how we attempt to deliberately mimic the actions of others (e.g., of gangsters and hookers in LA) to be “cool” in the eyes of others. Uyematsu also uses rough sounding words like “strut” and “mistaken” and “rowdier” to add to her harsh observation of people pretending to be someone they’re not.
LikeLike
Alexander Popes style of writing in “Sound and Sense” does not use the classic onomatopoeic words to create an aural effect, instead he uses the techniques of rhyme and allusions. Also, he matches the sounds of these words to the meaning of his overall message so that it makes sense. Pope uses words to put the reader in a set feeling, like “gently blow” and “flows,” which set up a soft feeling in the reader. Alexander Pope uses rhyme in a true sense to him, which he states in the line “The sound must seem an echo to the sense,” meaning rhyme is not to make the poem sound even better, but so that it matches the content to get the message across. Pope alludes to Zephyr to further stress the importance of how soft and smooth the gentle breeze is and in the next line he describes smooth streams and smooth numbers creating a imagery in the readers mind and sets the reader up for the juxtaposition of rough and roar that comes in the next lines. Pope uses historical allusions, like Zephyr and Ajax, to tie the reader to the time period that Pope is writing in, as well as a descriptive tool to further amplify the sense of imagery he is trying to create. In “Funeral Blues” by W. H. Auden, Auden seems to force the rhyme to match his message instead of letting the message he wants to get across chose the rhyme for him. For example, rhyming white necks of the public doves to a policemen’s gloves. But, Audens use of imagery is constant throughout, and he does a great job of making it easy for the reader to picture what he is talking about, which amplifies the meaning by putting the reader in the same frame of mind that he is in.
LikeLike
Dickenson includes onomatopoetic words such as “buzz” in her poem “I heard a Fly buzz– when I died” to contrast the silence present in the poem. Perhaps the speaker notices the buzz of the fly because everything else in the situation seems so still. In contrast, “Sound and Sense” by Alexander Pope offers a much more active, but he does not include onomatopoeia to enhance his words. He instead relies on rhyme, meter, and allusion. To understand what Pope wished to achieve with these poetic strategies, we must first understand the meaning of the poem itself. Pope wishes to make the point that poetry should be a structured art form with rules and form, rather than whatever the author chooses to make it. First of all, he uses rhyme to support his point, which is a characteristic that is very traditionally poetic. Rhyme gives his poem a musical quality that also serves to give structure within the lines. Most of his poem contains heroic couplets in iambic pentameter. This is a very structured method to write a poem, but it resulted in a poem that is still rhythmic and musical. This proves his point that structure and form is important to poets. His allusions provide depth to the poem by displaying his poetic knowledge, and refer to previous poetry that followed a specific form. His allusions are to characters and poets in Greek poetry. Much of this Greek poetry is in dactylic hexameter, another structured form. The “Iliad” follows this form. “A Fit of Rhyme Against Rhyme” by Ben Jonson also makes use of rhyming couplets to amplify meaning. What makes this poem different is that each couplet is followed by a short and concise statement. The couplet has a musical quality that grabs the reader’s attention, and funnels them into the following statement. This strategy greatly amplifies the meaning of the poem.
LikeLike
In Dickinson’s poem, her utilization of “buzz” in her poem is used in order to emphasize and contrast the silence found within the room. In Pope’s poem “Sound and Sense”, no onomatopoeia was used ironically, but it provides an aural effect via rhyme and allusions. Pope believes that poetry should follow a structured art form with a set of specific rules, not whatever the author decides to create. The sounds of the word phrases match the meaning of his overall message within the poem. His use of rhyme supports his point and characterizes his work to be traditionally poetic, giving his poem a sort of musical quality. Many of his works follow an iambic pentameter structure, especially in the heroic couplets of his poems. While the poem follows a strict structure, it also is given rhythm and musical features due to the rhymes. Along with his rhymes, his allusions provide a deeper perspective to the poem by demonstrating his knowledge of poetry. He refers to previous poetry that followed similar structures such as his, ones found in Greek poetry. Some examples include poetry that held dactylic hexameter, such as “The Iliad”. The allusions he makes to the gods and goddesses are ways that gave his work a deeper meaning. For example, when Pope alludes to the Greek god Zephyr, it pairs and corporates nicely with his use of “soft blows” of the wind. While no onomatopoeic words were used, the reader can simply sense what the wind would feel like if it were to blow by them. His utilization of rhyme and allusions are what made Pope’s poems deep with meaning and influential to the poem structures.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope’s use of iambic pentameter in combination with adept word choice effectively shifted the poem’s aural effect to match the subject matter changes throughout. To exemplify how a poet must sync aural qualities to the meanings of their words, Pope matches the characteristics of mythological characters to words representative of those character both in sound and meaning. Key to the reader’s ease of comprehension is how Pope utilizes an ABAB rhyme scheme that organizes his essay-like points into two-line units. In lines 5-6, Pope characterizes Zephyr, a Greek God and the personification of the light westward wind, by saying “Zephyr gently blows, And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows.” The steady and calming tone in this section exemplifies how Pope utilizes words that both describes the character literally and allows the reader to experience an aural effect that corresponds with that meaning. Later, Pope’s use of the words “o’er” and “skims” to describe “swift Camilla,” a skilled mythological huntress, reinforces how different word choice can shift the sound imagery while still fitting into the same rhythm and meter.
Gerard Hopkins utilizes similar manipulation of sound imagery in “Inversnaid” to provide additional sensory description of a stream. Hopkins’ purpose in this poem is to illuminate the beautiful variation in nature and plead for its preservation. Hopkins changes the sound imagery between “a highroad roaring down” to describe a swift lower section of the steam and “so pitchblack, fell-frowning,” to describe a deep stagnant pool of standing water in order to emphasize the multifaceted components of natural beauty. In both Pope’s and Hopkins’ poems the use of sound imagery amplifies the descriptive capacity of the poet to convey a consistent aural experience and meaning to the audience.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense” attains the aural qualities suggested in its lines through descriptive visual, auditory, and tactile imagery. He first creates the scene by painting a clear image with “smooth stream,” which he abruptly interrupts with “loud surges lash the sounding shore.” His reader and hear the associated sounds through his word choice of “lash” and later “torrent roar.” His reader can practically feel the force of the waves crashing and the vibrations traveling through their bodies. Pope achieves the aural effect by immersing the reader with descriptive imagery. He furthers the depth of this effect when he incorporates allusions to classical figures. For example, when talking about Ajax throwing “some rock’s vast weight” he is adding to the imagery of the loud surges by incorporating the power necessary to achieve those sounds. Ajax provides a measurement of the inhuman and extreme power which the reader is witnessing in the scene. He uses other allusions to support and enhance other lines in “Sound and Sense.”
In “Digging” Seamus Heaney’s word choice allows for him to amplify sound imagery with his poem. Heaney creates a scene of his father and grandfather laboring in their field, and his creates the auditory imagery through words like “squelch and slap,” “soggy peat,” and “stooping in rhythm through potato drills.” When said allow, all these phrases involve words that recreate the sound that they are describing. The reader is experiencing the sound as they are saying the word that provides imagery for that sound. This provides and amplified effect to the auditory imagery.
LikeLike
Onomatopoetic words are used to paint an image in the reader’s mind and amplify meaning in poetry. A well-known example of this technique is shown in “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” by Emily Dickinson. However, one does not need Onomatopoetic words to accomplish this effect. Though Alexander Pope does not use onomatopoetic words in his poem “Sound and Sense,” he still attains the very qualities each line suggests as his diction invokes certain senses, feelings, and emotions. Pope paints a picture of how he believes poetry should be written by using nature-related phrasing and metaphors to achieve this effect. To exemplify, “And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows.” Furthermore, Pope uses auditory language to achieve the same effect. For example, he writes, “The sound must seem an echo to the sense.” Pope also alludes to Greek classical figures to provide further depth and meaning to his work. These allusions help paint an image in the reader’s mind by providing a physical image the reader can understand. Pope writes, “When Ajax strives some rock’s vast weight to throw, the line too labors, and the words move slow.” Another example of a writer who uses sound imagery/effects to paint an image is Shakespeare’s “Winter.” Shakespeare writes of a winter cabin and uses bright illustrations that invokes the warm feeling one gets when sitting in a log cabin next to the fireplace. Onomatopoetic words are not always needed to achieve sound imagery. Instead, one can use strong language that evokes a scene to resonate and amplify meaning in the reader’s mind.
LikeLike
Onomatopoetic words are used to paint an image in the reader’s mind and amplify meaning in poetry. A well-known example of this technique is shown in “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” by Emily Dickinson. However, one does not need Onomatopoetic words to accomplish this effect. Though Alexander Pope does not use onomatopoetic words in his poem “Sound and Sense,” he still attains the very qualities each line suggests as his diction invokes certain senses, feelings, and emotions. Pope paints a picture of how he believes poetry should be written by using nature-related phrasing and metaphors to achieve this effect. To exemplify, “And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows.” Furthermore, Pope uses auditory language to achieve the same effect. For example, he writes, “The sound must seem an echo to the sense.” Pope also alludes to Greek classical figures to provide further depth and meaning to his work. These allusions help paint an image in the reader’s mind by providing a physical image the reader can understand. Pope writes, “When Ajax strives some rock’s vast weight to throw, the line too labors, and the words move slow.” Another example of a writer who uses sound imagery/effects to paint an image is Shakespeare’s “Winter.” Shakespeare writes of a winter cabin and uses bright illustrations that invokes the warm feeling one gets when sitting in a log cabin next to the fireplace. Onomatopoetic words are not always needed to achieve sound imagery. Instead, one can use strong language that evokes a scene to resonate and amplify meaning in the reader’s mind.
LikeLike
The poem “Sound and Sense” by Alexander Pope is an iambic pentameter. Pope does not need to use onomatopoeia to impart feeling in the piece because instead he uses alliteration. “But when loud surges lash the sounding shore.” The line uses alliteration with the “s” sound. The line before Ajax is mentioned the verse has a rough sound to it. This resembles Ajax’s character who was seen as rough and very strong. He was also not very good with words. However, when the character Camilla is mentioned the lines following are very swift, elegant, fluid. This resembles Camilla’s character for her to be light and swift on her feet. Emily Dickinson uses onomatopoeia in the beginning of her poem with the word “Buzz.” However, she also uses capitalization to add extra emphasis to specific words. This makes the reader look more closely to those words. Furthermore, she uses hyphens that appear almost random throughout the piece. When the poem is read and you pause at the hyphens, the poem is more dramatic. An underlying importance is placed upon the fly, but why? Why a blue fly? Why is she dead in the beginning, yet the story continue? The last line, “I could not see to see” is also a strange wording. Can she does not have the ability to see her memories within her mind because of the buzz? Can she not see through her eyes because she’s dead? Both poems use the art of words and punctuation to impart contemplation to the meaning of the poem.
LikeLike
Pope’s poem “Sound and Sense” uses its diction instead of onomatopoetic words to give the reader a sense of “aural effect” that Dickinson is able to achieve in her poetry. The first line of his poem says, “True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,” which shows that Pope believed there were set boundaries for lines of poetry to fall in to and that all writers needed to follow them, despite the direction a author was willing to take a poem. From this point on, he uses a rhyme scheme which helps the reader feel the flow of the words more naturally. The words he uses to rhyme gives the reader specific images. For example, “roar,” “shore,” and “blows” are all words that, despite not being onomatopoetic words, they remind of an image when read. Pope’s use of figures such as Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus adds depth to his poem since he is now using actual recognizable figures to create an image. For example, Zephyr is the Greek god of light wind, and in the poem, soft wind is directly associated with Zephyr. Also, Camilla was a warrior in Greek mythology, and the poem references that when it reads that she “scours the plain.” Another poem that does a great job at creating an image for the reader, despite not using onomatopoetic words is “Deliberate” by Amy Uyematsu. She uses phrases such as “strut and slide,” “sassy black high heels,” and “rowdier LA streets” which helps give the poem better meaning and understanding.
LikeLike
While Dickinson’s poem “I heard a Fly Buzz- when I died” used onomatopoeia to create a specific aural effect, Pope’s “Sound and Sense” did not use the same technique to reach the same effect. Pope is known for writing poems that are in iambic pentameter and end in perfect rhymes. In “Sound and Sense” he chooses his words carefully, using words like “echo,” “flow” and “smooth” to achieve the aural effect. Furthermore, Pope uses intonation to help emphasize his point. In the first stanza of the poem, repeated sounds of the letter s create a sense of ease and is soothing and the repeated sounds of the letter r at the end of the stanza shift the feel of the poem to something more rugged and “rough. ” Pope’s use of allusions to classical figures helped paint a better picture. By mentioning Zephyr, the Greek god of the west wind, and finishing that line of with “gently blows” perfectly creates the aural effect of gentle winds blowing through the air. Comparing Pope’s poem to Tennyson’s “Break, Break, Break” there are some similarities. Both use rhymes to keep the flow of the poem moving. Even though “Sound and Sense” is in iambic pentameter, Tennyson mimics the use of iambic tetrameter in “Break, Break, Break” but has some other variety throughout the poem. The structure of the entire poem is broken apart by the line “Break, Break, Break” The beginning depicts a sailor and his sister out at sea. The end reveals that his sister has died. “Break, Break, Break” was not just another line in the poem, it was used to signify the change in tone in the poem.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope’s poem “Sound and Sense” brings together literary techniques including vocabulary and allusions to move a reader to not only understand meaning, but also sense the meaning. Vocabulary is a vital tool Pope uses from the beginning. In the line, “As those move easiest who have learned to dance” Pope explains what it means to have natural and smooth structure, but he also writes the sentence with vocabulary that can demonstrate the meaning. For each rule he describes, he follows its guidelines throughout the whole poem. The allusions he includes in the form of Gods and heroes give additional meaning to his explanation. When Pope wants to describe the flow in poetry, he includes a reference to the god of wind, Zephyr. When he emphasizes the “torrent roar,” he includes the roman hero Ajax. Pope’s use of these characters and more give the readers a chance to connect his words to a story they may already know. If they are familiar with the myth, they will have associated with it, the imagery that Pope is trying to bring forth. Oniomania can be very effective, such as how Dickinson uses it in his, “I heard a Fly buzz- when I died.” In his poem, Dickenson doesn’t limit himself to conventional vocabulary but writes the very sounds. It does the job, but Pope shows that it is not necessary. With the right words, an author can bring out sounds, meanings, allusions, and as their goal would be, meaning in the objective they are attempting to communicate to readers.
LikeLike
Connor Anderson
Although Alexander Pope avoids onomatopoeia, his lines accurately attain the poetic qualities suggested by the meanings of each line. Pope employs a rhyme scheme that provides structure, as well as word choice. Pope establishes the rhyming pattern in the first two lines, in conjunction with his use of word choice. The lines are complemented with the words “move easiest” and “dance,” (lines 1-2). Pope’s lines move easily off the tongue and the flow can be thought of as a verbal dance. Pope pairs word choice and rhyme scheme further in line four when he says, “the sound must seem to echo to the sense.” Not only is he rhyming the final syllables of lines three and four; he is literally explaining the aural effect of how rhyming repeats or “echoes” sounds. In lines seven and eight, Pope approaches his word choice and rhyme scheme duo differently. Instead of rhyming two lines that have similar rhythms, he rhymes lines that are structured differently. Line eight has the same number of syllables as line seven but is broken up by a comma, embodying a “hoarse, rough verse,” (line 8). The characters that Pope utilizes add depth. “Zephyr,” the Greek god of a gentle wind is mentioned in one of the pairs of lines that rhyme and flow, without complex sentence structure or punctuation (lines 5-6). “Ajax,” the largest Greek warrior who is handicapped by his slow mental capacity is coupled with a rhyming pair of lines that contain punctuation and words that are read slowly (lines 9-10). The poem “Funeral Blues” also uses word choice and rhyme scheme as sound effects to amplify the somber, main point. The second line in the rhyming pairs uses a morbid word to complete the rhyme. This is done to emphasize the sadness. The emphasized words are “bone,” “dead,” “rest,” and “wrong,” (lines 2-12).
LikeLike
Pope’s poem achieves onomatopoetic effects without the explicit use of onomatopoeia in contrast to Dickinson’s poem where she makes use of onomatopoeia to achieve an intentional audio representation of something in her poem. Instead of being direct like Dickinson, Pope makes use of descriptive words that evoke audio in the reader’s mind in the way they describe sounds and are paired with meaning and allusions to classical characters which provide a source of reference for the reader to use to infer the Pope’s intentions. He makes use of descriptive words to create a bond between the intended sound of the line in the poem and the meaning of the word to the reader. Through using words like “echo”, “harshness”, “hoarse”, “smooth”, and “skim” Pope makes these sounds become real in the reader’s head, then amplifies the sound by alluding to classical stories that refer back to these sounds. Within these classical stories are distinguishable characters with traits that evoke sound when paired with Pope’s descriptive words. For example, when Pope mentions Zephyr in line 5, he pairs the allusion to the Greek wind god with the words soft, and gently and the reader feels the flow of lines 5 and 6 as if they were softly and gently blowing the lines past their lips the same way Zephyr did the with the wind. Through doing this with each classical character Pope connects the reader’s understanding of classical stories to the sounds they are associating with his words. In his poem “Digging,” Seamus Heaney makes use of a similar technique of using descriptive words to conjure up audio for the reader and instead of associating the words with allusions, he uses imagery to paint a picture of a working, digging man. So through pairing sound and action, in contrast yet parallel to Pope’s sound and allusion, Heaney makes tangible his father’s rasping shovel and the rhythm of hard work.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope displays aural effect despite the absence of onomatopoeic words in his poem, “Sound and Sense,” by drawing upon vivid metaphors and expressions while complementing them with euphonious and cacophonous connotation throughout each line.
The latter part is best demonstrated when Pope uses 5 “s” sounds in “But when loud surges lash the sounding shore” (Pope 7) and 6 “r” sounds in the succeeding line “The hoarse rough verse should like the torrent roar” (Pope 8). In the first line of the two, Pope deliberately pairs the imagery of powerful waves crashing on shore with the alliteration of “s” and “sh” in order to imitate ocean sounds. Thereafter, he repeats the growling sound of “r” with terms such as “hoarse,” “rough,” and “roar” in order to exaggerate the aggressiveness of each word.These two instances are fascinating because Pope manages to combine both the work of onomatopoeia and literary imagery within single words. Thus, as the audience reads or listens to the poem they envision the scenario while hearing the sounds inevitably hearing the associated sounds.
Additionally, Pope leans on allusions to classical figures such as Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus in order to further develop the imagery and meaning of his poetry. The character Ajax for example symbolizes a man of strength and rage from his historic myths. Hence, when he is mentioned in line 9 searching for something to throw, the reader will recall upon not only his built up anger, but also the entirety of his personality and history, enhancing the entire quality of the poem.
Similarly, Seamus Heaney incorporates the same sound imagery in “Digging” when he says, “spade sinks into gravelly ground” (Heaney 4), because of the contrast between smooth “sink” and “gravelly ground.” It sounds as if the ground fights back.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope displays aural effect despite the absence of onomatopoeic words in his poem, “Sound and Sense,” by drawing upon vivid metaphors and expressions while complementing them with euphonious and cacophonous connotation throughout each line.
The latter part is best demonstrated when Pope uses 5 “s” sounds in, “[b]ut when loud surges lash the sounding shore” (Pope 7), and 6 “r” sounds in the succeeding line, “[t]he hoarse rough verse should like the torrent roar” (Pope 8). In the first line of the two, Pope deliberately pairs the imagery of powerful waves crashing on shore with the alliteration of “s” and “sh” in order to imitate ocean sounds. Thereafter, he repeats the growling sound of “r” with terms such as “hoarse,” “rough,” and “roar” in order to exaggerate the aggressiveness of each word.These two instances are fascinating because Pope manages to combine both the work of onomatopoeia and literary imagery within single words. Thus, as the audience reads or listens to the poem they envision the scenario while hearing the sounds inevitably hearing the associated sounds.
Additionally, Pope leans on allusions to classical figures such as Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus in order to further develop the imagery and meaning of his poetry. The character Ajax for example symbolizes a man of strength and rage from his historic myths. Hence, when he is mentioned in line 9 searching for something to throw, the reader will recall upon not only his built up anger, but also the entirety of his personality and history, enhancing the entire quality of the poem.
Similarly, Seamus Heaney incorporates the same sound imagery in “Digging” when he says, “spade sinks into gravelly ground” (Heaney 4), because of the contrast between smooth “sink” and “gravelly ground.” It sounds as if the ground fights back.
LikeLike
The poem Sound and Sense by Alexander Pope does not use onomatopoetic words, but is still able to create a clear aural effect throughout the poem. Pope achieves this effect through imagery where he careful strings words together.
This is specifically demonstrated in line 7
where Popes writes “But when loud surges lash the sounding shore”.
Pope does not use a single word to describe this event, but uses several.
The use of “loud surges” connects readers to the rushing of water and an intensified sound.
This creates a picture and sound that is easily identifiable to the audience. Imagery is not the only way in which Pope creates an aural effect.
Pope uses allusions to Greek gods and mythology to further connect the reader.
In line 5 he refers to Zephyr the Greek god of wind. This specific mention of Zephyr
paints a specific picture of the type of wind blowing and how it blows. This speaks to all the senses.
Pope does not need onomatopoetic words to create the aural effect he aims for. Instead his use of imagery and allusions accomplish
that task.
LikeLike
Alexander Popes “Sound and Sense” displays poetic qualities despite its lack onomatopoeia and other sound/imagery effects. Pope draws on allusions to classical figures in order to fill the gap left by the lack of these effects. By eliciting images of well-known classical figures Pope makes the poem more relatable. Meaning is gathered from the poem, as his readers have personal experience with the stories of his characters. This comes without him even having to introduce or provide a context from which his characters present themselves. Pope also makes exceptional use of rhythm and meter in his poem in order to make the poem flow more gracefully. Onomatopoeia can also be very useful in provoking thoughts and images that are drawn from a reader’s prior experience. By this method a poem is made more personal. One example of this can be observed in “I heard a Fly Buzz – When I Died” by Dickinson. Dickinson repeatedly uses Onomatopoeia in this poem to bring forth thoughts of an action in his poem so profound they can almost be felt by the reader. A similar example can be found in “Break, Break, Break” by Tennyson. While this literary device is not Onomatopoeia, the repetitive nature of the sound that Tennyson describes evokes powerful imagery. By this device a large amount of substance and feeling is added to his poem. The reader is forced to evaluate how they feel while reading the poem. Literary devices such as onomatopoeia make the difference between reading and experiencing a poem.
LikeLike
Pope achieves his intentions without using specific language by specially picking words that both fit his purpose and the flow of the line. This flow is created by using ‘soft’ syllables in lines that need to slip past the readers senses but harsher words in lines designed to strike at the reader. In line 5 of Sound and Sense, the “when Zephyr gently blows” holds only one rough letter and it is not emphasized, making the entire line seemingly blend together. Line 8 holds a sharper “like the torrent roar”, which has harsh pronunciation and a short, choppy roar to snap at the reader. The allusion to Zephyr does not hint at the story of Zephyr but rather the readers relationship to it. It is designed to bring back memories that tie the reader to the poem in more ways than one. Digging by Seamus Heaney invokes the same type of recollection with its line “the spade sinks into gravelly ground”. This connection to a real world experience is what separates a good poem from a great poem.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope uses stark contrasts within each stanza to create the desired result of having an onomatopoetic sense without the specific words. The language he uses personifies worldly things making them more humanistic and allowing the audience to further grasp the setting of the poem. The addition of classical figures in Pope’s work bridges the gap between past and present, relying on the romantic nature of the mythology in question. Pope plays upon the rivalries presented between the figures to present them through a lens as if they were just like us and relatable. Not to mention the poem goes back and forth between softer more elegant language to coarse and rough words which all work to insight feelings based upon the actions being taken. Whether Ajax is using his might to chuck boulders which in turn slows the words flow or Camilla’s speed swift float above the plain but at such velocity she in turn wrecks the same corn she runs above. When compared to Dickinson, the words are left more to interpretation and their actions are not in plain view of the reader. Dickinson prefers to speak plainly and let it be know her motives without leaving a notion of mystery behind her words.
LikeLike
Although Alexander Pope does not use onomatopoetic phrases in his poems, he is still able to describe vivid imagery throughout his poem “Sound and Sense” by describing sensations in a way that connects each line to a person’s experience. For example, the line “Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows,” invokes the feeling of either gentle animals or a soft fur. Looking further into the line, “Zephyr” is the western wind and is a mythological reference. Knowing the reference, the reader can connect the line to a soft, gentle breeze blowing warm air over the skin. In addition, the line “But when loud surges lash the sounding shore,” invokes imagery without using onomatope. The reader can tell that waves, possibly, do not roll into the shore peacefully like the western wind, but crash with a loud noise. Pope chose not to use onomatopoetic phrases, and instead chose to use human experiences to create the intended effect. The poem “next to of course god america i” by Cummings also portrays imagery to give further meaning. The lines “than these heroic happy dead/who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter/they did not stop to think they died instead” paints the image of men rushing into battle. Cummings, similarly, to Pope, does not use onomatopoetic phrases, but is able to create the image using an analogy. He compares the soldiers rushing into battle to lions rushing to slaughter their next meal. In both cases, neither care whether they die, if the lion gets his kill and the soldier gets his liberty, as described in the following line.
LikeLike
Alexander Popes work “Sound and Sense” is certainly interesting, as it fails to use onomatopoeic phrases or devices. Nonetheless, Pope is still able to achieve his goal by using various literary devices to illustrate to the reader what he is trying to get across. He uses a mix of vivid imagery and very unique diction in each line to communicate effectively with the reader. He establishes a rhyme scheme early on in the work, going AABBCCDDEEFFGG. This rhyme scheme allows him to pull his choice words together into a clear work that paints the picture that he wants to paint. As mentioned above, this is occurs due to the choice words themselves. He alludes to classical writing by bringing up figures such as Timotheus, Ajax, Zephyr and Camilla. By bringing up Zephyr, for example, the Greek God of the West Wind, the reader is given a vivid image that defines the line he is discussed on. This is true of the all the other classical figures who are discussed, and the lines they are mentioned on. As discussed above, the diction helps to make the imagery vivid. Using terms like “smooth”, “surge”, “rough” and “swift”, allow for each line, though void of onomatopoeic devices, to be defined quite well. By using a combination of classical references and good diction, Pope is able to paint a picture in each line, with the classical references reinforcing the rest of the line.
In Seamus Heaney’s “Digging”, something similar is occurring. Mr. Heaney uses metaphor in order to create vivid imagery. Comparing how a pen rests to that of a gun, an allusion to his rural upbringing in the bogs of Ireland. Like Mr. Pope, though he lacks onomatopoeic devices in abundance, he still is able to clearly tell a story to the reader. By using terms like “gravelly ground” and “soggy peat”, the reader is able to envision Mr. Heaneys world. You can almost see the family farm, hear the spade driving into the dirt, coming up covered in peat. Many more examples of this nature, combined with many other literary devices, are able to ensure that his message comes across clearly to the reader.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope uses rhythm and tone to portray his emphasis of painting pictures while also keeping the end rhymes in the same AA BB set. Pope is set in his ways and knows exactly what he wants to portray in each line. Despite not using onomatopoeia to describe actions that individuals do, he is able to still use different words to present the same meaning as if he were to use onomatopoeia.
Pope uses each Greek Mythology God in his own way. By taking what the god represents, in this case, Zephyr, god of wind. Instead of using the fierceness the most Greek gods represent, Pope goes to the other end of the spectrum by describing Zephyr’s wind as “gentle”. This would be the opposite of a allusion. However, With Ajax, Pope uses words to describe him perfectly. Ajax is a large and strong man. When Pope uses the line to describe the Ajax throws very heavy rocks, he would be correct in correlating Ajax to represent strength. This is a perfect positive correlation allusion.
In a separate poem titled “Do Not Go Into that Goodnight” Dylan Thomas uses emphasis on sound by the use of rhyming. However. his use is more unconventional because of the fact that he uses internal rhythm with the words “day, they, bay, way, gay, and pray” By using each of these words in the middle sentence of each stanza, Thomas is able to amplify the meaning of these words and how each of them are connected throughout the entirety of the poem.
LikeLike
Onomatopoetic words are usually what we think of when we think of words that convey sounds. A poet, however, can find ways to convey sound without explicitly telling us what to hear. In Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense”, the point of the poem is to show that this is possible, with each line demonstrating a different effect. When he describes the movement of a poem with a smoothness of a stream, he uses alliteration and repetition of the “s” sound in “smooth stream in smoother numbers flows”. This conveys the sound of a current, adding depth to his imagery. Pope also uses allusions to further conjure a feeling in the reader’s mind. He calls back to classical figures such as the brute-like warrior of Ajax when describing how to make a sentence hefty. The line “When Ajax strives some rock’s vast weight to throw” is a labor to pronounce, and the uneven, coarse reading adds the feeling of an intense effort to the reader’s mental picture. Other poets use this technique as well. Seamus Heaney, in his poem “Digging”, describes his experience of writing while his father labors out in the field. He too takes advantage of sound imagery without onomatopoeia. Part of his stanza, “Under my window, a clean rasping sound, when the spade sinks into the gravelly ground” creates sound not only through the imagery of “clean raspy” but also the alliteration of “s” in “spade sinks”. This deepens the mental picture the reader has of the scene, as the sound of the spade hitting gravel is clearly articulated through Heaney’s style of writing. Both poets are able to craft lines that create a vivid sound in the reader’s mental ear—all without any onomatopoetic words.
LikeLike
Sound and Sense by Alexander Pope is sort of an introduction to the world of poetry in that it tries to demonstrate what a good poem looks and sounds like. Each line’s meaning can also be conveyed by saying it aloud. In place of onomatopoetic words, Alexander Pope uses soft and hard sounding syllables in the appropriate places. For instance, the line “The hoarse, rough Verse shou’d like the Torrent roar”, when read aloud, contains hard sounding words that mimic the meaning behind the line. Alexander Pope’s allusions to classical figures, such as Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus provide depth by making the poem sound smarter in a way. Referencing classical mythology gives it a sense of timelessness and knowledge, even if it is not deserved. It is beautiful in how simple it is really.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense” embark upon a very different style compared to that of Dickinson. In particular, Alexander Pope prefers to use descriptions such as “The sound must seem an echo to the sense:” (Line 4). These descriptions despite their lack of immediate calling to sound and sense do in fact deal the subjects but in a more indirect manner. Similarly, to painting a literature picture of sorts, Pope can be found using the words as a way for the reader to recall the senses rather than simply writing what the reader should feel directly. Referring to Pope’s rhyme and rhythm, both are interwoven into the poem which as a result leads to a direct amplification of the idea of having the reader recalling senses as the lines become connected and hence the words as well.
Alexander Pope usage of allusions for his poetry particularly that of the myths and heroes of the Classical world, color his work by providing a background and color to a work that given its context of 1800s would have been somewhat commonplace had it not recalled the Greek mythologies. By emphasizing these individuals, the poem can present its message in clear metaphorical form, such as “swift Camilla” (Line 11) which is to refer to the pace of the poem increasing similarly to the speed of the Greek Heros mentioned.
Inversnaid by Gerard Manley Hopkins refers to a rather grim setting. It does so by emphasizing the rhyme of the poem, but it does also employ some methods of imagery to better convey the despair of the poem. “Of a poo so pitch-black, fell-frowning, It rounds and rounds Despair to drowning” (lines 9-10), it is with this usage of internal rhyming that the poem can share the importance of the details of the lake and its very dark visage of sorts.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope uses allusions to classical figures to provide depth to his poem. Pope uses the word zephyr, which is the Greek god of the west wind, to describe the gentleness of the wind. Pope alludes to Ajax, a Greek giant who fought in the Trojan War, to describe how the line has slowed down. Pope uses Camila to describe her speed, she was fast enough to run over a field of wheat without breaking the tops of the plants. Pope also uses imagery to provide depth instead of onomatopoetic words, such as “smooth streams” which contrasts with “loud surges” and “torrent,” allowing the reader to create a mental image of what the poet is trying to describe. Pope’s use of rhyme and rhythm also contributes to the flow of the poem, utilizing an AABB rhyme scheme. The title of his poem “Sound and Sense” also provides depth to his poem, as it summarizes the main topic of the poem, which is how he uses words to convey sensory images. Another poem that uses sound imagery to amplify meaning is “Inversnaid” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. This poem can be understood only by saying it out loud, as the use of words makes it flow in a unique manner. Hopkins also uses an AABB rhyme scheme like Pope, and this also contributes to the flow.
LikeLike
I believe that in Alexander Pope’s “Sound and Sense,” Pope is able to attain the qualities each of his lines suggests by the way he speaks and the words he uses. Take the first line for example “True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,” the way the speaker verbalizes and is able to effortlessly put his thoughts into words highlights the “ease” of writing. Additionally, the diction Pope uses is not overly complicated, which also emphasizes the “ease” of writing. Moreover, Pope’s allusions to Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus provide credibility to both himself and the poem. Each of these historical characters were known for a different thing, Zephyr for wind, Ajax was super strong but could not speak, and Camilla speed. All of these characters demonstrate how speech, or more specifically poems can vary, and this demonstrates how Popes accomplishes what each of his lines speaks of because in Camilla’s line there is a sense of speed, not necessarily in actual velocity but the connotations attached to the words used. In Ajax’s lines it literally says, “Ajax strives some rock’s vast weight… and the words move slow,” it cannot get much clearer. Lastly, a poem in this lesson that utilizes Sound and imagery is Digging by Heaney. This poem starts off with “a clean rasping sound,” and while rasping is an undefined sound it is a form of sound imagery. Another instance in this poem is when Heaney says, “the squat pen rests; snug as a gun,” this evokes imagery because reading it the reader can see the pen sitting in a hand. These two examples found in the first 4 lines make the poem resonate because it creates lasting images and sounds.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope is able to attain the same aural effect qualities in his poem “Sound and Sense” that Emily Dickinson achieved in her poem “I Heard a Fly Buzz- When I Died-” without using the nomatopoetic words, such as the word “buzz.” Alexander Pope is able to do this using his rhyme scheme of AA BB CC etc. that creates a flow through the poem. Alexander Pope’s allusions to classical figures such as Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus provide depth to his poetic demonstration because by simply alluding to the known figures he is able to add aspects to the poem with few words. When you evoke those allusions, it alters the meaning of the poem and the feelings it gives the reader because without even having to explain or go further on the figures, the reader brings them to mind. Another poem that we have focused on this semester that also uses sound to guide the reader through the poem in a manner that makes the poem flow is the poem Tyger. The poem Tyger uses a plethora of -r sounds in a row creating a almost “hum” in the background of the poem that is going “grrrrr.”
LikeLike
In “sound and Sense”, Alexander Pope utilizes vivid sensory language coupled with parallel figures from mythology. This allows the speaker to paint a vivid picture of the actions taking place, for example the large and strong Ajax heaving a heavy stone emphasizes the “slow” reading of a line, indicating intense strain or “labor”. The other parallels accomplish this as well, Zephyrus being the “west wind” and being used in relation to the soft strain of the lyrics. This adds both further depth to the poem and makes it more rewarding for someone reading the lyrics. The graphic detail can be conveyed without onomatopoeia and without blatantly spelling out what is being described. In “Digging” Seamus Heaney accomplishes something similar, using very cleaver sensory language that is able to convey the sounds of the actions taking place, the titular “digging”. Using phrases like “the cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap” all increase the ability for the reader to perceive what is happening in the poem, allowing graphic images to be created. This greatly amplifies the overall meaning of the poem, the “curt cuts of an edge” describing the distinct sound of a metal shovel slicing into the ground. This is a similar concept to the first poem using parallels between actions of the mythical Greeks and the way lines in a poem can be read. The reader is able to visualize and perceive what the author intends much more effectively.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope achieves its aural effect using italics and different punctuation so the reader thinks about certain words more as they read them. Stressing words like “smooth”, “hoarse”, and “torrent”, makes you read the words or line as the word describes, creating a similar effect to onomatopoetic words. Pope’s reference to Greek characters provides depth because he had to do research to relate the characters in a meaningful way. “Soft is the Strain when Zephyr gently blows”, this line shows depth because Zephyr was the god of the west wind. This happens for each character, “Hear how Timotheus…”, Timotheus was a Greek musician, which plays on the “Hear” part of the line. Dickinson’s “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died”, uses a similar strategy to convey meaning. The line “Between the Heaves of Storm”, uses imagery to describe a calm period of time between chaos.
LikeLike
Alexander Pope achieves its aural effect using italics and different punctuation so the reader thinks about certain words more as they read them. Stressing words like “smooth”, “hoarse”, and “torrent”, makes you read the words or line as the word describes, creating a similar effect to onomatopoetic words. Pope’s reference to Greek characters provides depth because he had to do research to relate the characters in a meaningful way. “Soft is the Strain when Zephyr gently blows”, this line shows depth because Zephyr was the god of the west wind. This happens for each character, “Hear how Timotheus…”, Timotheus was a Greek musician, which plays on the “Hear” part of the line. Dickinson’s “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died”, uses a similar strategy to convey meaning. The line “Between the Heaves of Storm”, uses imagery to describe a calm period of time between chaos.
LikeLike