Neil Peart Literary Techniques

In the poem there is also an idea of man verses nature, this relates to the survival of the fittest. John Foulcher shows this through the use of first person point of view. For example in the second stanza “Then above me the sound drops” this again possesses sensory imagery creating a deeper human aura throughout the poem. Foulcher further uses a human aura to build a sense of natural imagery for example in the last stanza : “I pick up these twigs and leave them” adding closure

“There is a misty plot afoot so subtle we should be criminal to cling to old respects and ancient friendships. I have seen too many frightful proofs in court-the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!” (Hale, Act 2, p. 68) Throughout the book by Arthur Miller known as, “The Crucible”, there are numerous examples of thematic writing and hidden meanings to the words on the pages. Some of these themes include vengeance, fear, emotion vs. reasoning and many more. One theme, however, shines above all others within the piece, that of hysteria.

The speaker also chooses her diction precisely, so that there is clear contribution to the overall idea that the poem is indeed about the quest for change and longing from escape from the swamp. Two very different forms of description are used to represent this source of dread: once by the simple name, swamp, and

Simic creates a daunting atmosphere by using unsettling diction throughout the poem, leaving the reader with a pit in their stomach. After reading the first line the word crept, creates a

Simile-“Sitting back and letting it run through my fingers like so much water” (4). This quote makes me think of the main character losing control. In this quote, the water is used in a simile to represent how she feels like she's just letting her opportunities slip through her fingers and she feels like there isn't anything she can do to stop it from happening because much like water you have no way of keeping it in your hands. Diction-“At my feet, the city doused its lights in sleep, its buildings blackened, as if for funeral” (11).

American playwright, Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible (1952), suggests that witch hunts still exist in American society. Miller supports this claim by drawing parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and the Senator Joseph McCarthy Trials. His purpose is to warn his readers of the dangers of mass hysteria. He uses emotional appeals (pathos) and logic (logos) to convince the reader that mass “hunts” are still a danger to Americans today. The main way, however, that Miller achieves his ultimate goal of demonstrating the dangers of individuality vs. ideology is through the vivid characterization of Mary Warren. Mary Warren is an example of an outwardly conforming character because in the play she tells Abigail that she wants to tell

To start off the analysis, the setting of the entire poem is significant. Though the poem takes place in a house, the atmosphere the house is set in is also important. The month is September which is a month of fall which can be seen as a symbol for decline. It definitely insinuates that the poem is leading towards death. Line 1 has “September rain falls on the house” which gives the feeling of a dark and cold night with a storm on top of that. To further develop that, Bishop gives us the failing light in line 2 to also give us an idea of the grandmother’s struggle. Bishop uses the cyclical theme of changing seasons to show the unending nature of what is transpiring within the

During the story the author often uses foreshadowing to give hints to the reader of things that will happen in the future. When the story starts, a storm is coming on a late October night. The storm symbolizes the evil approaching the town. Usually it seems a storm would resemble something dark and evil, because a stormy night is always a classic setting for something evil. At the

Throughout history, many horrific incidents based on an act of violence or disagreement have resulted in panic and mass hysteria. These historical events include but are not limited to, The Holocaust, mass shootings, and 9/11. Many of these tragic events have led to people being immensely afraid. These events often create fear for those who participate in everyday activities. A healthy community consists of a support system, peace, trust, and adhering to societal laws. Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, illustrates parallels between the Salem 17th century witch trials and the Communist Red Scare in the 1950’s to exemplify how destructive irrational fear and mass hysteria can become. When a community is overcome with fear it creates an insalubrious system of mistrust, corruption, hypocrisy, and the defiance of laws. Conflict relating to witchcraft in The Crucible, led to tension and struggle for the people of Salem. In his allegory, Arthur Miller illustrates the devastating impact of irrational fear on a community through the actions of the characters of Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth and Judge Hathorne.

However, the poem has fluidity despite its apparent scarcity of rhyme. After examining the alteration of syllables in each line, a pattern is revealed in this poem concerning darkness. The first nine lines alternate between 8 and 6 syllables. These lines are concerned, as any narrative is, with exposition. These lines set up darkness as an internal conflict to come. The conflict intensifies in lines 10 and 11 as we are bombarded by an explosion of 8 syllables in each line. These lines present the conflict within one's own mind at its most desperate. After this climax, the syllables in the last nine lines resolve the conflict presented. In these lines, Dickinson presents us with an archetypal figure that is faced with a conflict: the “bravest” hero. These lines present the resolution in lines that alternate between 6 and 7 syllables. Just as the syllables decrease, the falling action presents us with a final insight. This insight discusses how darkness is an insurmountable entity that, like the hero, we must face to continue “straight” through “Life” (line 20).

The world is so full of stupendous works of literature, which are subjected to a plethora of different personal interpretations. It is inconceivable to imagine that each novel has only one prominent underlying message or theme. Arthur Miller, the American dramatist and playwright, out of The University of Michigan, was able to transform one of the most notable accounts of mass hysteria and loss of rational thought, and mold it into an elaborate and complex drama. Miller’s, The Crucible tells the story of the Salem witch trials that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century. Literary lenses are used to assist readers in admiring and evaluating literary works, in an overabundance of ways. When analyzing The Crucible through the historical, psychological, and archetypal lenses, the reader can see the prominent niche that each lens plays within the story, significantly impacting the reader’s point of view on not only the story itself, but as well as the broader connection to society as a whole.

The conflict generated by the witch-hunt tears the community apart. It exposes intolerance and abuse of power in the form of characters such as Deputy-Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorne. It reveals self-interest in the forms of the greed and factionalism of Thomas Putnam and the jealously and vindictiveness of Abigail Williams.

The atmosphere of this exposition is clearly foreboding: "the dark clouds, broken chimneys, unused street, solitary cat, and dead air" all prove ominous and reflect the sordid ruling mood. Failed culture and solitary of aimless women ("a cat moved itself in and out of railing") not knowing exactly what to do about their predicaments in which

The tone Gray builds throughout the poem is one of darkness.  Since there is no direct action and plot during the course of the text, the tone it bears is generally passive, although it changes towards the end.  The tone is characterized by the pessimistic and dark foreshadowing that echoes throughout the poem.  Reappearing reference to war and the brutality of battle further aid the development of the gloomy tone.  As the poem progresses, the tone changes.  This becomes evident in the last three stanzas, when the loom is finished and “the work is done”.  After the achievement of this task the mellow tone shifts towards excitement and motivation. Stanza 14 shows this change in tone utilizing two back to back exclamations or demands that hastily call for immediate action to spread the fate.

The explication of the beginning of the poem is so bizarre. The first verse of the poem talks about the speaker’s loneliness. The speaker woke up from the sleep and he is trying to tell about his dream to his old friend. However, He addressed the darkness as his old friend and started to describe it which he had done before. Also, He is saying that when he was sleeping a vision left its seeds and it was deeply rooted in his brain. In this poem silence is the taboo, what he wants to speak about he cannot. The speaker is mentioning to all enlightened people in this poem. Its theme is man's inability to communicate with man.