' The Town Dump, By Howard Nemerov

All Things Trash Trash is merely the refuse of a civilization. How one observes and analyzes trash varies greatly among those who associate their literary depictions with this discarded matter. Garbage can either be seen as grimy, discarded waste. It can also be recognized as such, only on a broader scale including how a piece of litter relates to its litterer. Three of the aforementioned literary depictions have proven to be prominent representations of how three accomplished writers perceive trash, namely that which occupies dumpsters and dumps. “The Town Dump” by Howard Nemerov depicts a dump as “the city which seconds ours” in the form of a 4-stanza poem. “On Dumpster Diving” is an essay which frames trash as “a way of life” by Lars Eighner. Wallace Stegner writes about a dump as more poetic and exciting than people in “The Town Dump.” All three have in common the use of one device; figurative language. It is used to both enhance thematic and stylistic essence and convey attitude towards the subject matter. When looking at a dump for …show more content…
Eighner doesn’t effectively use it throughout the entire essay, mostly at the end to allow the reader to fully comprehend how he views the quandaries of middle-class citizens. Wallace Stegner, be it purposefully or accidentally, seems to use figurative language most effectively out of the three pieces. He takes into account the possibility of overuse, and he develops a successful concentration of figurative language in his essay. There is neither an overabundance, as seen in Nemerov’s poem, nor a lack, as in Eighner’s “how-to guide,” of figurative language. Stegner’s essay utilizes similes and metaphors, among other examples, to both enhance thematic and stylistic essence and convey attitude toward the subject matter. He appears to accomplish this arduous task at a higher level than that of the other two