Mississippi Solo Figurative Language

It is not difficult to at first dismiss the similarities of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Homer’s Odyssey as entirely superficial. Both are examples of the narrative pattern of The Hero’s Journey; the Odyssey presented as an epic that was so influential it birthed the entire western cannon of story telling and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written in the tradition of the Great American Novel that defined the spirit of the age in the United States. Each respective hero embarks on a journey, encounters strange places and people, overcomes the odds they are confronted with, winning the day and ultimately returning home before their next adventure (Coupe). Beneath this pattern however, lie similarities so consistent, that one cannot help but wonder, did Twain use Homer’s Odyssey as a blueprint for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? By examining the story of Huck Finn’s trip down the Mississippi through the lens of the Odyssey, I endeavor to show how the deeper similarities between these two classics not only tie them together from centuries apart, but that the influence of Homer’s epic is alive and well in Twain’s novel.

The context of Craig Silvey’s Jasper Jones influences different aspects such as language, values and attitudes within the text by using techniques such as figurative language, metaphors, grammatical aspects and structuring, with many more. This creates context for the story and pushes along the true intentions that Silvey wished to portray helping readers understand the story better.

This metaphor is comparing the actual birth of her son to a dangerous journey, which is saying that he was fearless and that the speaker was expecting a very successful life journey for he son. This makes the boy’s death feel even more tragic because the reader gets to see how the speaker felt towards her son and what she expected his future to be like. The second metaphor presented in the poem comes about when the speaker is describing the moments after the boy slipped off the bank into the water and got taken by currents:

     The use of symbols sets the tone of the piece. She personifies the rain in, “But the rain/ Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and

2. The novel “Black Boy” by Richard Wright is structured into twenty chapters and two parts. Part one is about Richard Wright childhood and growing up in a difficult time where whites are cruel to all African Americans. Part two focuses more on Richard’s life as an adult and how he struggles to maintain a good job. The story starts from when he is a young child and to when he is an adult.

The author uses a lot of figurative language throughout the story. The forceful wind is compared to a dog shaking a rat between its teeth. As Janet tried to calm herself, the idea that a dead woman was in the basement of her house began to beat at her like a flail. The idea that she was frozen with freight was illustrated by her body being like a drawn bow. Examples of more figurative language can be found throughout the text.

Twain uses imagery, analytical diction, and extended metaphor in order to remind people to step back and see the beauty in things they now find mundane. Mark Twain uses Imagery throughout the first paragraph in order to illustrate the mystique of the Mississippi River before he became the captain of a steamboat. He describes the water as being “broken by boiling, tumbling rings, that were as many-tinted as an opal[.]” He describes the water as being like the semi-precious stone opal in order to symbolize the value and beauty of it. Later in the paragraph he remarks, “There were graceful curves, reflected images, woody heights, [and] soft distances.”

On the Rainy River is the name of a chapter in Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried. O’Brien tells the story of one of his life experiences: how he almost ran from the Vietnam War and almost tried to escape to Canada. This story uses the first person as O’Brien recounts a personal story using “I.” He uses a lot of imagery, characterization, and even a bit of foreshadowing. However, the use of these devices help the story that he is telling to seem so much more true, so much more realistic. Imagery can be seen throughout the story, and it is apparent when O’Brien describes the people he is imagining.

In the poem “Crossing the Swamp” by Mary Oliver, who creates a metaphorical idea of the difficulties faced when crossing a swamp to the difficulties of making it through life. Using vivid imagery, enjambment, alliteration, and metaphor in the open form, Oliver depicts her rejuvenating experience of struggling with life while coming out victorious.

2. "Though his bark cannot be lost, / Yet it shall be tempest-tossed," is stated in lines 24 and 25 by the first witch while she and the other witches are discussing a recent experience of hers with a sailor. The significance is that it gives us insight on the capabilities of the witches. It means the first witch can't destroy the sailor's boat, but she can make him miserable with a storm, meaning witches can only play with man, not destroy him.

There is also figurative language used in phrases such as “Having come from the clouds” and “tilting road”. This adds to the effect of imagery and emphasis on the journey to the sawmill town. It also helps to make the stanza more interesting to the reader.

Imagery, detail, and symbolism play a crucial role in this work. Imagery has the function of painting a picture of the situation in the reader’s mind so that he or she is able to develop a version of the story individually. It makes the reading a more personalized experience that helps the reader to understand what’s going on. When O’Brien was just about to escape to Canada to avoid being drafted, he described the scene that was presented in front of him. “The shoreline was dense with brush and timber. I could see tiny red berries on the bushes.” In this quote, the reader can visualize the setting of the lake where he has to make his life-changing decision. It appeals to the visual sense by describing the shoreline and even the sense of

Alistair MacLeod’s “The Boat” is a literary success on many levels. His ability to evoke mood, sustain a meaningful theme and a strong setting make this piece particularly impressive.

Mississippi history is a sad history of slavery and oppression. It is a history of racism and refusal to let go of segregationist ideals. Mississippi history is enough to give many the blues. In fact, the Blues style music originated in Mississippi and gravitated outward from there. .Mississippi history and Blues history are intertwined. Delta Blues is a blues style that originated in the Mississippi Delta and influenced many musicians. Another musical art form, Jazz may be considered an offspring from the Blues and also started in the South. There are many Blues musicians and singers that come from Mississippi or have become linked to Mississippi for various reasons. Bessie Smith, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, and Cassandra Wilson have

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious.