Literary Devices
Poetry uses literary devices to impact in the reader who at times to not even notice it. The literary devices are aimed at conveying a message that the poet intents to pass to the reader. In some cases, poets use symbols to represent something beyond their literal meaning. The attitude of the author can easily be noted by the selection of words and tone. The theme gives the central idea that is to be portrayed by the author. The combination of these literary devices is incorporated to deliver a specific message that is at times unexpected by the audience. The paper will seek to analyze the literary devices used in “For Saundra” by Nikki Giovanni and “Digging” by Seamans Heaney.
In the poem “Digging” by Seamans Heaney, imagery is used to convey the message to the reader and emphasize the theme. It can be noted in “Over his shoulder, digging down and down” Heaney 23. This is meant to imply that the grandfather was a hard worker who was successful in his job. There is imagery when the poet notes that “stooping in rhythm through potato drills” Heaney 8. This implies that his father was passionate and skilful in doing potato farming. With the poet having seen how his father and grandfather worked on the farm, it was difficult to adopt another career in writing.
Heaney in his poem “Digging” also uses symbolism to deliver the theme and assist the reader to understand the poem. It can be noted in the first stanza that notes “between my finger and thumb, the squat pen rests” to imply that the poet’s career motion has been set towards digging by his father and grandfather. He attains success through writing in an equal way that his grandfather and father attained it through digging. The poet’s main theme is that one does not have to follow the paths taken by others to attain success. This can be noted in “but I have no spade to follow men like them” to imply that despite the farming profession having been passed down to him, he did not want to take part in it.
The poem “For Saundra” by Nikki Giovanni uses an informal diction with words that are commonly used. The speaker debates on what to write the poem about to ensure that the point gets across. The poet uses imagery to address the issues in society and the ultimate need to fight for equality and freedom. The use of descriptive imagery is extensive throughout the paper. There is imagery in words such as green trees to refer to freedom and equality. The Giovanni in stanza 14 notes that she looked at the window and noted that “the schoolyard was covered by asphalt”. This is imagery to imply that there is no equality in society beyond the confines of one’s house. The desire for revolutionary action to achieve equality makes the poet note that these are not poetry times. It is ironical to imply that there can be no great times to write on peace and equality and so she should not write. Equality is essential for all particularly during the times of black civil movement when the poem was written. There is a metaphor in the beautiful green tree poem to refer to a beautiful atmosphere where individuals live peacefully.
Both poets conclude their poems uniquely. Each of them arrives at a given mindset that they are ready to follow. “For Saundra” by Nikki Giovani concludes by noting that the time is not right to write about equality as there is a lot of discrimination in the Manhattan community. Seamans Heaney concludes his poem “Digging” by noting that he has a pen and will use it to write rather than take part in farming. I find the conclusion in the poem “Digging” to be more appealing due to its symbolism and imagery.
In conclusion, the poems “For Saundra” and “Digging” employ a wide array of literary devices. They are used in poetry aid in communicating the message to the reader. They make it easy for the reader to understand the theme.
Works Cited
Giovanni, Nikki. “For Saundra.” The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni 1968-1998. William Morrow, 2003. pp. 80.
Heaney, Seamus. “Digging.” Death of a Naturalist, Faber, 1966. Pp. 12.
