E-Lecture - Poetic and Literary Devices
- Language: appears simple but he uses it with more conscious artistry to warn his audience. “Rage is thief’’ to show that we must not embrace it because it assumes the picture of satan. The poem title “Raider of the treasure trove’’ means a person who dis cover a valuable treasure or who has a valuable collections.
- Personification: is the transfer of the quality of animate object to that of inanimate object. “Rage’’ is personified as “chief,’’ “thief’’ and “enemy’’ lines 11, 13. It shows rage as powerful monster that “rob you of your life.” Rage has the power to take life like human beings do.
- Imagery: is the creation of mental picture in reader’s mind. One can see the visual image of a travelling ship in stanza one lines 3-5…’’Always strive, “To fly flags of joy” and “sail up streams”, “powered by the breeze of love.’’
- Symbol: is when an object is used with something associated with it. The poet uses “flying roses,’’ “heavens’’ as symbol of perfect bliss. Roses conveys deep emotions of love, respect, devotion, etc., lines 7–8.
- Biblical Allusion: is when reference is made to something that the reader understands. The poet made reference to the book of Ecclesiastes 7:9 which mean fools give room for anger. “but what can be worthy of your life? Is a biblical allusion to the sermon on the mountain Matthew 6:25 which mean one should not be anxious about life?
- Metaphor: is the comparison of two things from different nature but share same characteristics. Rage is compared to different things. Rage is ‘chief,’ “thief,’’ “enemy,’’ “storm’’ lines 11, 13, 14, 17. In line 15, rage assumes a wicked person that spread toxic radioactive gas to destroy important materials “Rage spread toxic fumes to every scene’’
- Euphemism: This is when a serious thing is said in a pleasant way. In lines 9–10, “of things which would blot that brief,’’ “or breach your sails with arrow unseen.’’ It means what can cause the untimely death is “rage’’
- Dramatic Monologue: is when a speaker talks all alone in a poem/literary text. The speaker addresses a silent listener, usually the reader. The person is like a sermon that the preacher delivered on a certain occasion about the consequences of anger. The use of “you’’ and “your’’ to mean audience, “I’’ to the speaker.
- Repetition: is when a word, phrase or sentence is said more than once in a poem. Lines 7-8 are repeated in lines 22-23 “I’II fling roses whenever I berth/ My destination is heaven-on-earth.’’ The essence of this repetition is to warn listeners that anger is madness and people should stay away from it.
- Rhetorical question: is a question without answer. It appears in lines 1–3, 17 and 21 are used for the purpose of emphasis. “But what can be worthy of life? “What dearer than the gems of your dream’’ ’the reason you are here?’’ “It’s sole cause?’’ “Rage sets sail. Can ruin lag far behind’’
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