Comparing and Contrasting the Use of Language - Assignment Example

The Use of Language YourFirst YourLast The Starry Night The Poem known as the "Starry Night," written by Anne Sexton examines the famous painting "The Starry Night" done by Vincent Gogh. The writers visual examination means that the cypress tree denoted as the "black-haired tree" stands for death, the ultimate freedom that guides to the stars that also signify human souls illuminating vibrantly in the skies. In the painting, the clouds are interpreted as the unobserved serpent eating the shown eleven stars. Also in this painting, the moon is unusually colored orange; where Anne explains that, the sky is very hot, boiling. Metaphorically interpreted, maybe it is associated to the notion that souls normally ascend from the town situated directly below and goes up to the stars to be burned and ultimately being eaten up by the snake of the sky. Vincents Van Gogh painting is used to give the subject to Anne Sextons Poem, where the writer of the poem associates her writings to the painting by use of a quote from the painter as an epigraph. The orator rises above the confines of the viewers vision in her lamentations that "This is how I want to die" (11-12). Anne portrays the influences of the painting on her as one that has uncontaminated transcendence, whereby demise appears like a "speeding beast of the night" (13), from her life without any flag (15), without any cry (17) (Sexton, 1981). There is great imagery applied in this poem. Prior to even commencing the development of the poem, Anne Sexton references Van Gogh, the painter of the "Starry Night" works, so that the viewers and readers of the poem can think about the painting as they engage reading the poem. In the initial line, Anne writes, "This is how I want to die." It is such a peaceful town, a peaceful image. The town is very silent, almost seems like deserted, the mountain – very dark which denotes someone heavily thinking about death (Sexton, Middlebrook & George, 1988). Death was an aspect that the writer thought about on very many occasions, ultimately proving to be her demise through suicide. In the second line, she talks about the beautiful and peaceful stars up in the sky, an element that she really yearns for when she dies. In this poem, similes have been applied largely to permit the viewers to better comprehend the painting through imagery. It is also noted that Anne applies the use of such literary elements such as alliteration, hyperbole, irony, imagery, comparison, and repetition. In this poem, the writer has used the style of compressed language, one that is closely related with depression and death, rendering the style of this poem metaphorical and apolitical. In addition, several literary techniques have been applied that assist the writer to effectively relate closely with the viewers. Anne Sexton used Van Goghs painting to create the general feeling of calm and a soothing feeling because the poem rotates around the night, devoid of the movement of the city (Ostriker, George & Sexton, 1987). Anne Sexton ultimately concludes that her wish is to die in a peaceful manner, "a peaceful death" with the skies shining bright, applying the calm night as a figure of speech. It additionally describes how she wishes to die, that she does not wish to surrender "any flag," she intends on giving up her human qualities, for instance, her body to grow to be a part of the sky. 55 Miles to the Gas Pump 55 miles to the Gas Pump by Annie Proulx is comical though sad-dark narrative. As suggested by the heading of the short narrative, the background of the story is rather far out in the countryside. It is reportedly so far that the owner of the ranch, Mr. Croom, develops his own peculiar beer. As the details of the narrative are given out, the owner of the ranch falls into a canyon while drunk. This tragic incidence takes place in the absence of his wife, who takes advantage of the absence of her husband and breaks into the attic that is ever closed. The wife, Mrs. Croom opens wide the attic only for her to discover the many bodies of Mr. Crooms lovers, reportedly missing in the past. These women are seen to have been used "hard," all of them plastered all over with "tarry handprints." The writer ends the narrative on a comical relief note that "When you live a long way out, you make your own fun" (Annie 569). The narrative of the "55 miles to the gas pump" is used to satirize the rough-edged uncivilized life in the countryside. Paradoxically, the ranchers warnings and seclusion particularly on the attic of the home just spooked his wifes curiosity further, therefore showing the undisclosed elements of his past that he so badly desired to conceal. The story additionally depicts Mrs. Croom as a woman who highly suspected her husband of such acts. Satire is again depicted when it is revealed that Mr. Croom is hiding bodies of his lovers inside his own attic. What is more surprising even is the fact that the wife did not discover those facts for the twelve years they have been together. In general, the narration is mocking the deprivation of ordinariness or politesse in the 55 miles from the gas pump. The narrative is rather detached into two separate viewpoints with a catchy ironical element built-in all through the story. The narration depicts a couple that is married, living together within the same compound, but who seem to be living two separate lives. A grungy perception is developed in the viewer or the reader of the story when Mr. Croom is first described in the introduction. The rancher is seen to be a messy individual and rather lackluster given that he seems to be under the influence of alcohol regularly. The irony is again seen in the fact that the couple had been living together for an estimated twelve-year period, without the wife discovering that; the husband was living a rather separate life. The narrative is short, focused on the suicidal event of the owner of the ranch, Mr. Croom, and the unearthing of multiple bodies of victims of domestic violence killed by the rancher himself (Durrans, n.d.). The narrative is designed to amuse the adult audience because such a disturbing plan is not suitable for small children. The narrative is seen as the latest account of events. The applied style of every sentence, additionally every paragraph, being a lengthy thread of clauses and phrases is as well the same to a thread of thoughts. The chronicle is casual, informal and the language is, in the same way, self-effacing. Certain features compound the storys general notion of being an oral account between people who know and understand each other well. Comparison Both narratives use imagery to describe the events that take place in the two distinct environments. Sexton uses imagery to make her audience have a general view or understanding of the painting and the features therein, to connect with her feelings and thoughts. Annie Proulx uses imagery as well to describe the old rural setting in which her characters lived in. In the Starry Night, the author implies that peace in the city can only be found in the night, when everything is calm and quiet. On the other hand, in the rural setting of the ranch, peace seems to elude them as the husband is depicted as a serial killer living two very separate lives. Where peace is expected to be in abundance, it seems to elude them unexpectedly. The two stories are additionally distinct in that the Starry Night narrative has a city background while the "55 Miles to the Gas Pump" has a rural setting. Both of them are direct opposites: Sextons description is surrounded by the mystery of death, her final wish while in the second narrative, the narration demystifies death in a comical way. However, both stories are similar in some aspects as both narrators end up committing suicide. The first narratives tone by Sexton is sad, surrounded by death and that final wish to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, Annies narrative depicts a comical tone. References Durrans, S. Thy truth then be thy dowry. Ostriker, A., George, D., & Sexton, A. (1987). Oedipus Anne: The Poetry of Anne Sexton. The New England Quarterly, 60(4), 652. doi:10.2307/365435 Sexton, A., Middlebrook, D., & George, D. (1988). Selected poems of Anne Sexton. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Understanding Annie Proulx. (2001). Choice Reviews Online, 39(02), 39-0801-39-0801. doi:10.5860/choice.39-0801 Read More