Figurative Language In Poetry

Poetry is a journey into a new world of language that leaves readers fascinated. Poets take their time to intermingle different forms of figurative language to present their topic in a way that takes time to understand. By using rhetorical devices a poet is capable of taking short stanzas and making them into a work of art that can leave the reader guessing the intended meaning for generations. Well written poems contain various types of rhetorical devices such as imagery, metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, and diction just to name a few. Four poems which make great use of Figurative language are “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen, “The eagle” by Lord Tennyson Alfred, “Harlem” by Langston Hughes, and “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop. These poems are so different and written in completely different time periods, but yet they still have things in common which make them worthy of study.
Dulce et Decorum Est
Wilfred Owens crams this …show more content…
In its very few lines the author is able to describe the eagle a majestic bird worthy of some glory. Imagery plays an important role because it allows the reader to see all the actions of the bird by using visual and kinesthetic imagery. Examples
In addition to imagery Tennyson uses personification to give the eagle human qualities. The author claims the eagle uses his hands to clasp the crag in line one which gives it human qualities. This use of personification was intentional and allowed the reader to capture how the author really wanted to portray the bird. . Then personification is used again in line four when the author also gives the sea human qualities by stating “The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls”. The author knows that the sea cannot actually crawl, but by using this personification it enhances the imagery and you can see the waves crashing against the shore