On the ABC of literary devices – alliteration; on “Green Rider” by Kristen Britain ; on air-dry clay – a plant stand!
Hi all,
On Writing
I’ve always been fascinated by the way literary devices create a mood or an effect. Most often, we associate literary devices with poetry, but they are also used effectively in prose. I thought it might be fun to begin an ABC series on literary devices and their uses.
I’ll be starting with one of my favourites: A is for Alliteration.
Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as ‘tough talk’ (but ‘sea shore’ is not alliteration as alliteration depends on the sound of the initial consonant.
The third line of W. Owen’s Anthem to Doomed Youth immediately comes to mind for the way the poet reproduces the sound of rapid rifle fire through the repeated use of /r/.
Similarly, in J. Masefield’s Sea Fever we can hear the swishing sound of the sea and the sound of the wind against the sails through the use of words beginning with /s/ and /w/ in close succession in the third line of the first quatrain.
Similar effects can be created in prose texts. Using alliteration can help create a quiet, pensive mood, for example. In this pivotal scene from The Hyllethan Gifts series I used a number of literary devices including alliteration (with the repeated use of /c/ and /s/ and /w/) to hint at the protagonist’s anger and sorrow at someone’s death.
“Xwun’s deep notes vibrated within her, within the very ground. They filled her bones and flesh with loss and also with warmth, calming the storm after the clash of thunder and clap of anger. (…) The notes spoke of rain that fell, of sorrow but also of serenity. They washed away the tears, till only the swish and sway of water was left.”
On Reading
A number of years ago, one of my students wrote a book review on Green Rider a YA novel by Kristen Britain, published in 1998. The review made the book sound like something I’d enjoy and it lived up to expectations.
The plot is a rather basic Hero’s Journey: Here’s an extract from the book’s blurb:
“On her long journey home from school after a fight that will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her uncertain future. As she trudges through the Green Cloak forest, a galloping horse bursts from the woods. The rider is slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king of Sacoridia. Before he dies, he begs Karigan to deliver the "life and death" message he bears to King Zachary. When she reluctantly he agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission, whispering with his dying breath, Beware the shadow man.... Taking on the golden-winged horse brooch that is the symbol of the Green Riders, Karigan is swept into a world of deadly danger and complex magic, her life forever changed.”
I’ve read all of the books in the series as they came out. A few weeks ago, Winterlight, book seven in the series, was published (after a four year wait since book six) and that’s the book I’m currently reading.
Is there a series which you’ve enjoyed enough to look forward to continuing even though years pass between one book and another? Or does the wait ruin the enjoyment?
On Other Doings
It’s back to air-dry clay this week! I saw a picture of a handmade flower holder on Pinterest which I thought I could copy. All it involved was rolling out a longish strip of clay which I then curled round a biscuit tin to form a C shape. I cut out a small round hole on one end with a bottle cap, then left it to dry. Since the clay was quite thick, it took about 3 days to fully dry. And this is the result…
Till next time,
Caroline