The Use of Suspicion of Grandiose Rhetoric on Poems - Book Report/Review Example

Examine the way in which Philip Larkin and Carol Anne Duffy have employed suspicion of grandiose rhetoric as an operating principle in their poems THE USE OF SUSPICION OF GRANDIOSE RHETORIC ON POEMS Introduction Language is a vital part of any written piece. In poems, both classical and modern, language does not only play as the main sender of the message to the readers. Moreover, the type of language used in written pieces of art stand as the main attraction that creates a fine impression upon the level of understanding and "feel" of the art that has been presented to them by the authors through their poems or other kinds of written art. In the poems of Larkin and Duffy, they both utilized the perfect application of grandiose rhetoric in the presentation of their messages to the readers. Likely, it is through the use of this particular type of language that they were able to establish the type of poem that classifies their written work. More that, the utilization of the said linguistic approach also enhances the entertaining factor that characterizes a written work. Through this, instead of reading through the piece of writing, one intends to think and deeply decipher what is actually meant by the author as he begins to present the data or the message of his work. Considerably, through analysis, it could be observed that Larkin and Duffy made a great implication as to how they were able to effectively utilize the "suspicion of grandiose rhetoric" approach on their poems as they presented the necessary point of consideration that needed focus and attention when making their poems much more than just a piece of art but also a piece of information and entertainment that would most likely be able to bring in a touch of color on their writing as the readers read on. In this paper, an understanding with regards the said matter shall be handled so as to make an implicative analysis as to how the suspicion of grandiose rhetoric has represented the different elements that make up the poems "Selling Manhattan" (Duffy) and "The Whitsun Weddings" (Larkin). Undoubtedly, the author of this paper wishes to identify the different approaches of language use that the authors of the said poem used to send their message to their target readers. Undeniably, through making an implicative explanation on the matter, the author of this analysis also aims to make a point on how language itself affects the presentation of details in written art such as that of poems. The Grandiose of Language The grandiose of language refers to the utilization of language in such a way that introduces subject, situations and events in a written piece of work through making use of grand words. These are impressive description of the main subject being referred to in the said piece of written art. It could be considered a way of impressing the readers on the part of the creator of the poems. Likely, the process to consider in this matter is that the authors are aiming to rather entertain their readers, to keep them reading on and to avoid possible boredom that may occur as they continue on with the kind of writing that they know could attract the attention of their readers making them continue reading their piece of work. However, more than that, the use of grand language mirrors the kind of culture that the author has been born into. Languages are sources out from the historical background of each country. The stresses and the tenses of each language actually differ from each other primarily because of the fact that different nationalities around the world have different perceptions with regards life and living. It could be observed that such linguistic assessments had been based upon their realization of how life's elements should be perceived. Taking the sound of the nature and the environment in use through language had been the main feature of such languages as they are profoundly used around the world. The profound use of this particular language makes it easier for the writers of poems to either express their messages directly for the readers to understand or to use the grandiose of rhetorical presentation to at least make a statement that startles the mind of their readers. Understanding the Uniqueness of Language Of course, it is not only complexity that makes human speech unique. There are many other factors involved-so many that some scientists maintain that, instead of labeling man homo sapiens ("man with wisdom"), it would be more appropriate to label him homo loquens ("man who talks"). But someone may protest: "Have they forgotten all the recent research in animal communication systems' Man speaks, yes. But so do animals, in their own fashion. Dolphins whistle, bees dance, birds have distinctive call notes and some can even imitate human speech. And what about the monkeys that have recently learned some 'sign' language' Although their way of communicating might not work in quite the same way as man's, surely the purpose and results are the same, are they not'" Well, yes and no. Yes, they do communicate; and no, as a rule the purpose and results are not the same. Much research has gone into this question. The different call sounds made by creatures as varied as gibbons, geese and dolphins have been catalogued-in some cases even worked into a sort of vocabulary. Gibbons apparently have nine calls or so and dolphins more. Dolphins even appear to have different "dialects," according to where they live. Yet, there are several vital differences between man's speech and that of the animals-even beyond the obvious fact that human language is immeasurably more complex. When a man uses the voice signals that he has learned, he intends to convey something to his hearers and he will stop if he notices that no one is listening. The jackdaw, however, does not care if another is listening. It merely emits the sound as an instinctive reflex action, just as a man will yawn when tired. This highlights another difference with man's speech. For the same particular reason, the use of grandiose rhetoric in poems does not happen for no any due reasons at all. The authors of poems utilizing the said kind of approach to language are not simply aiming to impress or so. Instead, they are trying to make a statement, a mark on how they are able to communicate their thoughts to their readers through encouraging them to think well and dig deeper so as to be able to understand the message that they are receiving from the authors. Language is not instinctive with humankind, as communication is with the lower animals. The art of speech must be taught him. With humans, then, speech is progressive. Instinct differs from intelligence in that intelligence resides essentially in the variability of the means it uses, whereas instinct is invariably an inherent force of law. A. W. Holmes said: "A goose flies by a chart which the Royal Geographical Society could not mend." Colton declared: "Though reason is progressive, instinct is stationary. Five thousand years have added no improvement to the hive of a bee, or the house of a beaver," and, we might add, to the language of the wild. But with humankind language has changed. With humankind speech is a social activity. Man cannot live without the cooperation of his fellow men. The chief purpose of speech among men is to secure this co-operation and thus achieve some form of self-realization, to accomplish his desires and to be a reflecting glory to the Creator. Eve showed that she fully understood this basic truth, when she said to the serpent: "Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But as for eating of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it for fear you may die.'" This command was first given to her husband Adam, and using speech Adam communicated the law perfectly to his wife, which she by her own expression showed she understood. The communicative process is completed only when the speaker gets a response by word, look, gesture or even silence (for silence is sometimes eloquent), which will enable him to judge the attitude of the listener and hence the degree of his own success or failure. A Language Spoken and A Language Understood In a way, through analytical understanding, Larkin and Duffy aimed to utilize their language choice to make it much easier to help the readers take the fact that the poems are relating more than just the usual theme through adapting a grandiose of rhetorical presentation of the events and the subjects that make up their written work. This process naturally conveys the fact that they are indeed utilizing the best of the complex characteristics of human language. The gregarious nature of mankind is reflected in language. Thus, when there is contact between cultures-a common occurrence-the languages of those cultures retain evidence of such contact for generations. For instance, through its many words of Arabic origin, Spanish, considered a modified version of Latin, retains a record of the eighth-century Muslim conquest of Spanish territory. The influence of Greek, French, English, and other languages on Spanish can also be traced. Moreover, in the Spanish spoken in America, traces remain of the ancient inhabitants of the continent. For example, Spanish there contains many words from the Nahuatl language of Aztec Central America. Just as a mother tongue identifies individuals with a certain nation and even with a region, language usage can identify people with a group, such as a profession, a trade, cultural and sports groups, or even criminal organizations. The list is practically endless. Linguists call these special variations jargon or slang or sometimes even a dialect. However, when there are animosities between nations and ethnic or cultural groups, language ceases to be a bridge. It can become a wall that adds to the divisions between people. Yes, towards the future of human language an expected flourishing of complex vocabulary could be noted. Communication is a complex matter. On one hand, the modern tendency is toward breaking down linguistic walls, primarily on account of mass media. According to the Encyclop'dia Britannica, English is now spoken as a primary or a secondary language by 1'person in'7. Thus, it is the most widely used lingua franca in the world. People's use of it has allowed for wider communication and the exchange of beneficial information. On the other hand, linguistic walls have contributed to division, hatred, and war. The World Book Encyclopedia states: "If all peoples spoke the same tongue, .'.'. goodwill would increase between countries." Of course, such goodwill would require a much more profound change than the mere use of a lingua franca. Only the wise Creator of language could cause all people to speak one language. Conclusion Being able to note that the complex language of humans has been able to identify the possibility of sending messages take different approaches and different levels of implication towards other people, the authors, Larkin and Duffy, were able to make a great difference in the field of poetry writing through making effective use of grandiose rhetorical presentations in their written works. Considerably, making a great utilization of this particular approach to language presentation has made their work one of a kind and indeed an impressive piece of art that makes a great sense of presenting the thoughts that they ought to convey to their readers. Through analyzing the message of the authors, it could be noted that language use is indeed an important element in creating written art. It is through this that the writers are able to make an implicative approach to sending the readers what they ought to say as the creators of the said artistic piece. Making a great sense in utilizing grandiose rhetoric on the part of the authors also gave them the chance to prove the fact that human vocabulary becomes more and more complex; an understandable and unavoidable development that makes the human language complex and rather a unique gift from the creator. It is through this analysis that it has been duly proven that language used effectively conveys the right messages to the readers, to the audience who are supposed to decipher the message. It is through this that the realization of the importance of the complexity of the human language comes into perfect picture that displays the ingenuity of the [human] writer to use creative ways to convey his thoughts to his readers. References: Katzner, K. (1999). The Languages of the World. New York, Routledge. McArthur, T. (1996). The Concise Companion to the English Language. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Crystal, David (2001). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. 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