Moniem's English Journal

Tasks 2 &3

Task 2
Wilfred Owen used personification in this poem to enhance meaning. He personifies the sun in the final line of the first stanza: If anything might arouse him now The kind old sun will know. The way this is used to enhance meaning is this, during the poem the soldiers attempt to revive an unconscious body of a fellow soldier. They eventually decide to bring him out to the sun as they believe that will be his resurrection. By saying that the old sun will know is personification, because he is giving the sun human like qualities(a brain). This enhances meaning as I believe that the sun is almost a God like or father figure to them, they look to the sun for guidance and help. Before they kept saying that the sun woke him one at home, and in France where they are fighting. I chose my quote because they are know looking up to the sun thinking: O, Father we need your help now.

Task 3
Nature and death can be connected to each other in the poem. I believe that the speaker chooses to unite the terms nature and death because it seems, to me, that they could be cousins in metaphoric terms. I think that death takes its toll naturally, death occurs when it needs to occur. Similarly with nature. Man cannot enforce nature same as he cannot enforce death. However, if both are to be force than there shall be a downside to the action by nature and following, death. In nature there are prey and predators, and this is natural yet this leads onto death. Wilfred Owen shows this when you realised that the sun does not save the unconscious body, because nature cannot be reasoned with. Furthermore, this leads onto the person’s death.

Shakespeare presents the intentions of Brutus through his conversation with Cassius. Although they both have similar intentions overall, both characters believe Caesar should die. The scence is about killing Caesar, how to kill him and whether anyone should die with him. Contradictingly, Shakespeare’s language also how the present Brutus changes their intentions.

Brutus seems to travel down the road of killing Caesar with ease, or as he says let us kill him bodly, but not wrathfully. This is one of the quotes where Brutus’s intentions are sundered from Cassius’s because he says they shall kill Caesar bodly. The term boldy implies that it will happen with pride and high amounts of respect and courage. On the other hand, the opposing term wrathfully implies the action will occur in a bloodthirsty manor, as Cassius is shown. As comparative adverbs it helps with the clear understand of Brutus’s intentions. The other two quotes:

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers

We shall be called purgers, not murderers

Similarly, Shakespeare uses the comparative words of sacrificers to butchers, I depict that Brutus wants to give Caesar up to the Gods (another quote; let’s carve him into a dish fit for Gods) for the greater good, in this case Rome. Opposing it is butchers, translating to attacking and cutting Caesar up viciously. Lastly, the term purgers connotes to get rid of something/someone whom are impure, instead of murderers, to kill in cold blood.

Identify and label 3 language devices. How do these devices help to enhance meaning?

O.

In the poem, second stanza, the first word is O. I believe that this singular letter could mean Oh however I have reason to believe that the author did not intend to imply Oh otherwise he would have written that. What I believe is that the author has intended for the O, relating to the Shakespearian era. This use of the word O is for sorrowful exclamation.

In the extract, set after Tom Robinson’s trial, Miss Maudie is conversing with Jem and the two present their similar opinions of Maycomb County. The details Harper Lee uses are, such as,  some men in this world were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Personally, this quote suggests that the so called ‘unpleasant job’ is to be a lawyer, like Atticus. Moreover it is not just typical case, it is a racial discrimination case similar to Tom Robinson’s.

The term some men is a noun phrase and in this context I believe that she is alluding to Atticus. She also is placing Atticus above every man and women else in Maycomb by alluding to him

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How is hypocrisy shown in Chapter 24?

Hypocrisy is shown in chapter 24 mainly by the development of newly introduced character, Mrs Merriweather; a teacher and a devout christian. Mrs Merriweather begins to talk about the Mrunas – an African tribe – and J. Grimes Everett, she quotes     ” The poverty… the darkness… the immorality – nobody but J . Grimes Everett. ” The quote states what she thinks the Mrunas live a sinful life, it also shows sympathy for the Mrunas as they don’t live how they live. I believe that it is because they don’t live in Maycomb County, in which is described to us as a ‘Christian Town’ by Mrs Merriweather, therefore they do not have Christianity and God in their lives resulting their lives to be seen as sinful. Tying into the fact that J. Grimes Everett is subjecting them to Christianity.

The hypocrisy is then shown by the comparison of the Mrunas and Maycomb’s black society.

Mrs Grace Merriweather calls the black people ‘darky’ and uses different references for black people who she wouldn’t use towards white people, which oppresses them, terms such as ‘wool of hers’ instead of head of hers.Secondly she needed Scout to remind her of name Tom Robinson,illustrating that she doesn’t care for him especially since there was a significant trial revolving around him.

Overall, Mrs Merriweather shows us that she care for the African tribe through:Oh child, those poor Mrunas,” yet doesn’t show an ounce of care for the well-being of those around her, this is proved by the terminology she uses to describe them.

In this chapter, we see a more masculine side to Scout’s whole tomboy personality because she beats up Walter Cunningham in the school playground. She does this due to Miss Caroline punishing her. As of Chapter 2 we understood the economic situation of the Cunninghams; the are very poor and that they repay debt with labour or goods. Jem intervenes and to Scout’s shock invites him to dinner. During dinner Walter is represented as a gentleman:’  While Walter piled food on his plate, he and Atticus talked together like two men… ‘, however that is contradicted when Scout sees him use up a lot of food and she begins to complains, additionally her new opinion of Walter’s position in the Maycomb hierarchy drops from almost with Atticus, to back where he belongs.

How is tension created and relieved?

In chapter 15 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates tension and relieves it through Scout and through the situation that Atticus is in. In other words, Scout relieves the tension created by Atticus.

“His face killed my joy. ”

This quote depicts that tension is being created or, at least, has been. Atticus has perpetually been represented as a happy figure, a figure that to Scout doesn’t kill joy. The terminology behind this proves it, using  ‘ kill ‘  Harper Lee  illustrates that Scout’s joy is – in other words – being destroyed or extinguish, furthermore, kill  is a heavy word, Harper Lee could have used other words however, in this situation it represents to us the high concentration of tension.

For me, Jem’s antagonism towards Atticus at that moment relieves tension from the scenario. As Jem is defiant to Atticus by not taking Scout and Dill home, he forces Atticus to change from his flamboyant, two words, two syllables of ” Go home ”  to his more affectionate nature of  “Please Jem, take them home.”  Changing from please to commands shows that Atticus has given up on attempting to force them out of harms way by almost pleading for them to leave, because he cares about them. I believe that Atticus wants them to see that he needs them to go for their safety in addition to his. Moreover, “… grabbed Jem roughly by the collar. He yanked Jem nearly off his feet. ” this narration by Scout amplifies the alleviation of tension. I think this because then afterwards Atticus pleads Jem to go home instantly, knowing that these ‘cold- hearted ‘ men will harm his children as well.

How is Calpurnia’s identity shown in Chapter 12?

Calpurnia’s identity is shown as unidentifiable to her. Harper Lee implicitly illustrates that Calpurnia doesn’t understand who she is. In chapter 12 she says,  “ Grew up down there between the Buford place and the Landin’. I’ve spent all my days workin’ for the Finches or the Bufords…” and “I don’t have a birthday.” Which implies to me that Calpurnia doesn’t have time for herself and her own life as a matter of fact, although she has children and grand-children she does not really have a maternal relationship that one should have. Calpurnia is being shown contempt from the two lives she supposedly lives, the close, personal black maid and a negro member of Maycomb society. Both of her identities are backfiring on her as she is being frowned upon by the black society for being weirdly close to the Finches, while for simply being black she’s disliked by the white people of Maycomb. This generates sympathy for her.

How does Harper Lee present courage in Chapter 11?

The definition of courage is being able to to face danger or pain without fear.With this in mind, I believe that Harper Lee shows courage in chapter 11 through Mrs Dubose. In the events of this chapter we meet Mrs Dubose for the first time, in which she is shown as contemptuous, and we find out she is dying. She is also a morphine addict, she eventually wants to die clean and so in her endeavor to do so she relinquishes her addiction to morphine, knowing that she will die quicker and face more pain. In the process Mrs Dubose faces pain without fear, this is courage. Additionally, Atticus explains to Jem ” I wanted you to see something about her – I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun. “