Saturday, December 28, 2019
A Definition of the Literary Term, Cacophony
Similar to its counterpart in music, a cacophony in literature is a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, and generally unpleasant. Pronounced Kuh-koff-uh-nee, the noun cacophony and its adjective form cacophonous, refer to the ââ¬Å"musicalityâ⬠of writingââ¬âhow it sounds to the reader when spoken aloud.à à à Coming from a Greek word literally meaning ââ¬Å"bad sound,â⬠cacophony as used in both prose and poetry typicallyà produces its desired unharmonious effect through the repeated use of ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠consonants, like T, P, or K. The word cacophony itself is cacophonous because of its repetition of the ââ¬Å"Kâ⬠sound. On the other hand, some words like ââ¬Å"screeching,â⬠ââ¬Å"scratching,â⬠or ââ¬Å"oozingâ⬠are cacophonies simply because they are unpleasant to hear. The opposite of cacophony is ââ¬Å"euphony,â⬠a mixture of words that sound pleasant or melodious to the reader. A common misconception is that any tongue-twister, like ââ¬Å"She sells seashells by the seashoreâ⬠is an example of cacophony. While cacophonous phrases can be tricky to pronounce, not every tongue-twister is a cacophony. For example, ââ¬Å"She sells seashells by the seashoreâ⬠is actually an example of sibilanceââ¬âthe repeated use of soft consonants to produce hissing soundsââ¬âand is thus more euphony than cacophony. Explosive Consonants: A Key to Cacophony In many cases, ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠consonants are the key ingredient of cacophony. Explosive or ââ¬Å"stopâ⬠consonants are those after which all sound abruptly stops, producing tiny verbal explosions or ââ¬Å"popsâ⬠when spoken aloud. The consonants B, D, K, P, T, and G are the consonants most commonly used in creating a cacophony. For example, imagine writing about a metal pot falling down a stairway. The pot would ping, ting, bong, dong, clang, and bang before going whack against your head. Other explosive consonantsà or stop sounds include C, CH, Q, and X. Individual words, sentences, paragraphs, or entire poems are considered cacophonous when they contain explosive consonants occurring in relatively close succession. For example, in his classic poem ââ¬Å"The Raven,â⬠Edgar Allan Poe uses the ââ¬Å"Gâ⬠sound in a cacophony when he writes, ââ¬Å"What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore.â⬠Or in William Shakespeareââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Macbeth,â⬠the three witchesââ¬â¢ chant of ââ¬Å"Double, double toil and trouble,â⬠repeats the ââ¬Å"Dâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Tâ⬠sounds to create a cacophony. However, this does not mean that every consonant must be explosive or that explosive sounds must come in rapid succession. Indeed, most cacophonies use other, non-explosive consonant sounds to add to the passageââ¬â¢s expression of uncomfortable discord. In contrast, euphonyââ¬âthe opposite of cacophonyââ¬âuses soft consonant sounds, like ââ¬Å"floralâ⬠or ââ¬Å"euphoria,â⬠or ââ¬Å"cellar door,â⬠which linguists consider the most pleasing combination of two words in the English language. Why Authors Use Cacophony In both prose and poetry, authors use cacophony to help bring life to their writing by making the sound of their words reflect or even mimic the subject, mood, or setting they are writing about. For example, cacophony might be used in writing about: The tolling of distant bells.The noise of a busy city street or classroom full of unruly children.The chaotic violence of a battleground.Dark emotions like guilt, regret, or sorrow.A world filled with fantasy and mysterious settings. By using cacophony and euphonyââ¬âalone or togetherââ¬âauthors can add tone and feeling to their writing in much the same way graphic artists use clashing and complementary colors to bring depth and emotion to their paintings.à Cacophony in Lewis Carrollââ¬â¢sââ¬Å"Jabberwockyâ⬠In his 1871 novel, ââ¬Å"Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There,â⬠Lewis Carroll created perhaps the best-known example of cacophony by the inclusion of the classic poem, ââ¬Å"Jabberwocky.â⬠The poem, which at once fascinated and confounded the novelââ¬â¢s main character Alice, uses cacophony in the form of invented, unmelodious words spiked with the explosive constants T, B, K to paintà a picture of life in a fantastical world terrorized by a gang of menacing monsters. (Listen to Benedict Cumberbatch read the poem in this video.) Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the momeraths outgrabe.Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch! Carrollââ¬â¢s cacophony of confusion clearly worked on the novelââ¬â¢s main character Alice, who after reading the poem, exclaimed: ââ¬Å"Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideasââ¬âonly I donââ¬â¢t exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: thatââ¬â¢s clear, at any rate.â⬠Contrast Carrolls use of cacophony in ââ¬Å"Jabberwockyâ⬠with the pleasurable euphony used by John Keats in his pastoral ode, ââ¬Å"To Autumn.â⬠Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;Conspiring with him how to load and blessWith fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run. Cacophony in Kurt Vonnegutââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Catââ¬â¢s Cradleâ⬠In his 1963 novel ââ¬Å"Catââ¬â¢s Cradle,â⬠Kurt Vonnegut creates the fictional Caribbean island of San Lorenzo, the natives of which speak a vaguely recognizable dialect of English. The San Lorenzan dialect is dominated by the explosive consonant sounds of TSVs, Ks, and hard Ps and Bs.à At one point, Vonnegut translates the well-known nursery rhyme ââ¬Å"Twinkle Twinkle Little Starâ⬠(albeit the version used in Alice in Wonderland) into Lorenzan: Tsvent-kiul, tsvent-kiul, lett-pool store,(Twinkle, twinkle, little star,)à Kojytsvantoor bat voo yore.(How I wonder what you are,)à à à à à à Put-shinik on lo sheezobrath,(Shining in the sky so bright,)Kam oon teetron on lo nath,(Like a tea tray in the night,) Throughout the novel, Vonnegutà uses cacophony comically to illustrate the absurdities of subjects like science, technology, religion, and the arms race by creating characters like Zinka and Bokonon and invented words like sinookas and wampeters, which are decidedly cacophonic due to their use of explosive consonants. Cacophony in Jonathan Swiftââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Gullivers Travelsâ⬠In his satirical novel on human nature ââ¬Å"Gullivers Travels,â⬠Jonathan Swift uses cacophony toà create a graphic mental image of the horrors of war. I could not forbear shaking my head, and smiling a little at his ignorance. And being no stranger to the art of war, I gave him a description of cannons, culverins, muskets, carbines, pistols, bullets, powder, swords, bayonets, battles, sieges, retreats, attacks, undermines, countermines, bombardments, sea fights, ships sunk with a thousand menâ⬠¦ In similar passages, combining sharp sounds of the explosive consonants C and K add a nature of ruggedness and violence to words like ââ¬Å"cannonsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"muskets, while P and B add to the discomfort felt while reading words like ââ¬Å"pistolsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"bombardments.â⬠But Does Cacophony Always Work?à While it can clearly add color and tone to writing, cacophony can sometimes do more harm than good.à If used for no good reason or too often, it can distract and even aggravate readers, making it hard for them to follow the workââ¬â¢s main plot or to understand its intent. Indeed, many authors strive to avoid injecting ââ¬Å"accidental cacophonyâ⬠into their works. As the noted literary critic M. H. Abrams points out in his book, ââ¬Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms,â⬠a cacophony may be written, ââ¬Å"inadvertent, through a lapse in the writers attention or skill.â⬠However, he stresses, ââ¬Å"cacophony may also be deliberate and functional: for humor, or else for other purposes.â⬠Key Points A cacophony in literature is a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, and generally unpleasant.The opposite of cacophony is ââ¬Å"euphony,â⬠a mixture of pleasant or melodious words.The repeated use of ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠or ââ¬Å"stopâ⬠consonants like B, D, K, P, T, and G are often used to create a cacophony.Cacophony is used in both poetry and prose.Writers use cacophony to help readers picture and feel the situations or conditions they are describing. Sources ââ¬Å"Euphony and Cacophony.â⬠Encyclopedia Britannica. Online.Bureman, Liz. ââ¬Å"Euphony and Cacophony: A Writerââ¬â¢s Guide.â⬠The Write Practice. Online.Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). ââ¬Å"The Sounds of the Worlds Languages.â⬠Oxford: Blackwell. p. 102. ISBN 0-631-19814-8.Abrams, M. H., ââ¬Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms.â⬠Wadsworth Publishing; 11 edition (January 1, 2014).à ISBN 978-1285465067
A Definition of the Literary Term, Cacophony
Similar to its counterpart in music, a cacophony in literature is a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, and generally unpleasant. Pronounced Kuh-koff-uh-nee, the noun cacophony and its adjective form cacophonous, refer to the ââ¬Å"musicalityâ⬠of writingââ¬âhow it sounds to the reader when spoken aloud.à à à Coming from a Greek word literally meaning ââ¬Å"bad sound,â⬠cacophony as used in both prose and poetry typicallyà produces its desired unharmonious effect through the repeated use of ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠consonants, like T, P, or K. The word cacophony itself is cacophonous because of its repetition of the ââ¬Å"Kâ⬠sound. On the other hand, some words like ââ¬Å"screeching,â⬠ââ¬Å"scratching,â⬠or ââ¬Å"oozingâ⬠are cacophonies simply because they are unpleasant to hear. The opposite of cacophony is ââ¬Å"euphony,â⬠a mixture of words that sound pleasant or melodious to the reader. A common misconception is that any tongue-twister, like ââ¬Å"She sells seashells by the seashoreâ⬠is an example of cacophony. While cacophonous phrases can be tricky to pronounce, not every tongue-twister is a cacophony. For example, ââ¬Å"She sells seashells by the seashoreâ⬠is actually an example of sibilanceââ¬âthe repeated use of soft consonants to produce hissing soundsââ¬âand is thus more euphony than cacophony. Explosive Consonants: A Key to Cacophony In many cases, ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠consonants are the key ingredient of cacophony. Explosive or ââ¬Å"stopâ⬠consonants are those after which all sound abruptly stops, producing tiny verbal explosions or ââ¬Å"popsâ⬠when spoken aloud. The consonants B, D, K, P, T, and G are the consonants most commonly used in creating a cacophony. For example, imagine writing about a metal pot falling down a stairway. The pot would ping, ting, bong, dong, clang, and bang before going whack against your head. Other explosive consonantsà or stop sounds include C, CH, Q, and X. Individual words, sentences, paragraphs, or entire poems are considered cacophonous when they contain explosive consonants occurring in relatively close succession. For example, in his classic poem ââ¬Å"The Raven,â⬠Edgar Allan Poe uses the ââ¬Å"Gâ⬠sound in a cacophony when he writes, ââ¬Å"What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore.â⬠Or in William Shakespeareââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Macbeth,â⬠the three witchesââ¬â¢ chant of ââ¬Å"Double, double toil and trouble,â⬠repeats the ââ¬Å"Dâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Tâ⬠sounds to create a cacophony. However, this does not mean that every consonant must be explosive or that explosive sounds must come in rapid succession. Indeed, most cacophonies use other, non-explosive consonant sounds to add to the passageââ¬â¢s expression of uncomfortable discord. In contrast, euphonyââ¬âthe opposite of cacophonyââ¬âuses soft consonant sounds, like ââ¬Å"floralâ⬠or ââ¬Å"euphoria,â⬠or ââ¬Å"cellar door,â⬠which linguists consider the most pleasing combination of two words in the English language. Why Authors Use Cacophony In both prose and poetry, authors use cacophony to help bring life to their writing by making the sound of their words reflect or even mimic the subject, mood, or setting they are writing about. For example, cacophony might be used in writing about: The tolling of distant bells.The noise of a busy city street or classroom full of unruly children.The chaotic violence of a battleground.Dark emotions like guilt, regret, or sorrow.A world filled with fantasy and mysterious settings. By using cacophony and euphonyââ¬âalone or togetherââ¬âauthors can add tone and feeling to their writing in much the same way graphic artists use clashing and complementary colors to bring depth and emotion to their paintings.à Cacophony in Lewis Carrollââ¬â¢sââ¬Å"Jabberwockyâ⬠In his 1871 novel, ââ¬Å"Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There,â⬠Lewis Carroll created perhaps the best-known example of cacophony by the inclusion of the classic poem, ââ¬Å"Jabberwocky.â⬠The poem, which at once fascinated and confounded the novelââ¬â¢s main character Alice, uses cacophony in the form of invented, unmelodious words spiked with the explosive constants T, B, K to paintà a picture of life in a fantastical world terrorized by a gang of menacing monsters. (Listen to Benedict Cumberbatch read the poem in this video.) Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the momeraths outgrabe.Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch! Carrollââ¬â¢s cacophony of confusion clearly worked on the novelââ¬â¢s main character Alice, who after reading the poem, exclaimed: ââ¬Å"Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideasââ¬âonly I donââ¬â¢t exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: thatââ¬â¢s clear, at any rate.â⬠Contrast Carrolls use of cacophony in ââ¬Å"Jabberwockyâ⬠with the pleasurable euphony used by John Keats in his pastoral ode, ââ¬Å"To Autumn.â⬠Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;Conspiring with him how to load and blessWith fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run. Cacophony in Kurt Vonnegutââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Catââ¬â¢s Cradleâ⬠In his 1963 novel ââ¬Å"Catââ¬â¢s Cradle,â⬠Kurt Vonnegut creates the fictional Caribbean island of San Lorenzo, the natives of which speak a vaguely recognizable dialect of English. The San Lorenzan dialect is dominated by the explosive consonant sounds of TSVs, Ks, and hard Ps and Bs.à At one point, Vonnegut translates the well-known nursery rhyme ââ¬Å"Twinkle Twinkle Little Starâ⬠(albeit the version used in Alice in Wonderland) into Lorenzan: Tsvent-kiul, tsvent-kiul, lett-pool store,(Twinkle, twinkle, little star,)à Kojytsvantoor bat voo yore.(How I wonder what you are,)à à à à à à Put-shinik on lo sheezobrath,(Shining in the sky so bright,)Kam oon teetron on lo nath,(Like a tea tray in the night,) Throughout the novel, Vonnegutà uses cacophony comically to illustrate the absurdities of subjects like science, technology, religion, and the arms race by creating characters like Zinka and Bokonon and invented words like sinookas and wampeters, which are decidedly cacophonic due to their use of explosive consonants. Cacophony in Jonathan Swiftââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Gullivers Travelsâ⬠In his satirical novel on human nature ââ¬Å"Gullivers Travels,â⬠Jonathan Swift uses cacophony toà create a graphic mental image of the horrors of war. I could not forbear shaking my head, and smiling a little at his ignorance. And being no stranger to the art of war, I gave him a description of cannons, culverins, muskets, carbines, pistols, bullets, powder, swords, bayonets, battles, sieges, retreats, attacks, undermines, countermines, bombardments, sea fights, ships sunk with a thousand menâ⬠¦ In similar passages, combining sharp sounds of the explosive consonants C and K add a nature of ruggedness and violence to words like ââ¬Å"cannonsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"muskets, while P and B add to the discomfort felt while reading words like ââ¬Å"pistolsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"bombardments.â⬠But Does Cacophony Always Work?à While it can clearly add color and tone to writing, cacophony can sometimes do more harm than good.à If used for no good reason or too often, it can distract and even aggravate readers, making it hard for them to follow the workââ¬â¢s main plot or to understand its intent. Indeed, many authors strive to avoid injecting ââ¬Å"accidental cacophonyâ⬠into their works. As the noted literary critic M. H. Abrams points out in his book, ââ¬Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms,â⬠a cacophony may be written, ââ¬Å"inadvertent, through a lapse in the writers attention or skill.â⬠However, he stresses, ââ¬Å"cacophony may also be deliberate and functional: for humor, or else for other purposes.â⬠Key Points A cacophony in literature is a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, and generally unpleasant.The opposite of cacophony is ââ¬Å"euphony,â⬠a mixture of pleasant or melodious words.The repeated use of ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠or ââ¬Å"stopâ⬠consonants like B, D, K, P, T, and G are often used to create a cacophony.Cacophony is used in both poetry and prose.Writers use cacophony to help readers picture and feel the situations or conditions they are describing. Sources ââ¬Å"Euphony and Cacophony.â⬠Encyclopedia Britannica. Online.Bureman, Liz. ââ¬Å"Euphony and Cacophony: A Writerââ¬â¢s Guide.â⬠The Write Practice. Online.Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). ââ¬Å"The Sounds of the Worlds Languages.â⬠Oxford: Blackwell. p. 102. ISBN 0-631-19814-8.Abrams, M. H., ââ¬Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms.â⬠Wadsworth Publishing; 11 edition (January 1, 2014).à ISBN 978-1285465067
A Definition of the Literary Term, Cacophony
Similar to its counterpart in music, a cacophony in literature is a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, and generally unpleasant. Pronounced Kuh-koff-uh-nee, the noun cacophony and its adjective form cacophonous, refer to the ââ¬Å"musicalityâ⬠of writingââ¬âhow it sounds to the reader when spoken aloud.à à à Coming from a Greek word literally meaning ââ¬Å"bad sound,â⬠cacophony as used in both prose and poetry typicallyà produces its desired unharmonious effect through the repeated use of ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠consonants, like T, P, or K. The word cacophony itself is cacophonous because of its repetition of the ââ¬Å"Kâ⬠sound. On the other hand, some words like ââ¬Å"screeching,â⬠ââ¬Å"scratching,â⬠or ââ¬Å"oozingâ⬠are cacophonies simply because they are unpleasant to hear. The opposite of cacophony is ââ¬Å"euphony,â⬠a mixture of words that sound pleasant or melodious to the reader. A common misconception is that any tongue-twister, like ââ¬Å"She sells seashells by the seashoreâ⬠is an example of cacophony. While cacophonous phrases can be tricky to pronounce, not every tongue-twister is a cacophony. For example, ââ¬Å"She sells seashells by the seashoreâ⬠is actually an example of sibilanceââ¬âthe repeated use of soft consonants to produce hissing soundsââ¬âand is thus more euphony than cacophony. Explosive Consonants: A Key to Cacophony In many cases, ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠consonants are the key ingredient of cacophony. Explosive or ââ¬Å"stopâ⬠consonants are those after which all sound abruptly stops, producing tiny verbal explosions or ââ¬Å"popsâ⬠when spoken aloud. The consonants B, D, K, P, T, and G are the consonants most commonly used in creating a cacophony. For example, imagine writing about a metal pot falling down a stairway. The pot would ping, ting, bong, dong, clang, and bang before going whack against your head. Other explosive consonantsà or stop sounds include C, CH, Q, and X. Individual words, sentences, paragraphs, or entire poems are considered cacophonous when they contain explosive consonants occurring in relatively close succession. For example, in his classic poem ââ¬Å"The Raven,â⬠Edgar Allan Poe uses the ââ¬Å"Gâ⬠sound in a cacophony when he writes, ââ¬Å"What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore.â⬠Or in William Shakespeareââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Macbeth,â⬠the three witchesââ¬â¢ chant of ââ¬Å"Double, double toil and trouble,â⬠repeats the ââ¬Å"Dâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Tâ⬠sounds to create a cacophony. However, this does not mean that every consonant must be explosive or that explosive sounds must come in rapid succession. Indeed, most cacophonies use other, non-explosive consonant sounds to add to the passageââ¬â¢s expression of uncomfortable discord. In contrast, euphonyââ¬âthe opposite of cacophonyââ¬âuses soft consonant sounds, like ââ¬Å"floralâ⬠or ââ¬Å"euphoria,â⬠or ââ¬Å"cellar door,â⬠which linguists consider the most pleasing combination of two words in the English language. Why Authors Use Cacophony In both prose and poetry, authors use cacophony to help bring life to their writing by making the sound of their words reflect or even mimic the subject, mood, or setting they are writing about. For example, cacophony might be used in writing about: The tolling of distant bells.The noise of a busy city street or classroom full of unruly children.The chaotic violence of a battleground.Dark emotions like guilt, regret, or sorrow.A world filled with fantasy and mysterious settings. By using cacophony and euphonyââ¬âalone or togetherââ¬âauthors can add tone and feeling to their writing in much the same way graphic artists use clashing and complementary colors to bring depth and emotion to their paintings.à Cacophony in Lewis Carrollââ¬â¢sââ¬Å"Jabberwockyâ⬠In his 1871 novel, ââ¬Å"Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There,â⬠Lewis Carroll created perhaps the best-known example of cacophony by the inclusion of the classic poem, ââ¬Å"Jabberwocky.â⬠The poem, which at once fascinated and confounded the novelââ¬â¢s main character Alice, uses cacophony in the form of invented, unmelodious words spiked with the explosive constants T, B, K to paintà a picture of life in a fantastical world terrorized by a gang of menacing monsters. (Listen to Benedict Cumberbatch read the poem in this video.) Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the momeraths outgrabe.Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch! Carrollââ¬â¢s cacophony of confusion clearly worked on the novelââ¬â¢s main character Alice, who after reading the poem, exclaimed: ââ¬Å"Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideasââ¬âonly I donââ¬â¢t exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: thatââ¬â¢s clear, at any rate.â⬠Contrast Carrolls use of cacophony in ââ¬Å"Jabberwockyâ⬠with the pleasurable euphony used by John Keats in his pastoral ode, ââ¬Å"To Autumn.â⬠Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;Conspiring with him how to load and blessWith fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run. Cacophony in Kurt Vonnegutââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Catââ¬â¢s Cradleâ⬠In his 1963 novel ââ¬Å"Catââ¬â¢s Cradle,â⬠Kurt Vonnegut creates the fictional Caribbean island of San Lorenzo, the natives of which speak a vaguely recognizable dialect of English. The San Lorenzan dialect is dominated by the explosive consonant sounds of TSVs, Ks, and hard Ps and Bs.à At one point, Vonnegut translates the well-known nursery rhyme ââ¬Å"Twinkle Twinkle Little Starâ⬠(albeit the version used in Alice in Wonderland) into Lorenzan: Tsvent-kiul, tsvent-kiul, lett-pool store,(Twinkle, twinkle, little star,)à Kojytsvantoor bat voo yore.(How I wonder what you are,)à à à à à à Put-shinik on lo sheezobrath,(Shining in the sky so bright,)Kam oon teetron on lo nath,(Like a tea tray in the night,) Throughout the novel, Vonnegutà uses cacophony comically to illustrate the absurdities of subjects like science, technology, religion, and the arms race by creating characters like Zinka and Bokonon and invented words like sinookas and wampeters, which are decidedly cacophonic due to their use of explosive consonants. Cacophony in Jonathan Swiftââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Gullivers Travelsâ⬠In his satirical novel on human nature ââ¬Å"Gullivers Travels,â⬠Jonathan Swift uses cacophony toà create a graphic mental image of the horrors of war. I could not forbear shaking my head, and smiling a little at his ignorance. And being no stranger to the art of war, I gave him a description of cannons, culverins, muskets, carbines, pistols, bullets, powder, swords, bayonets, battles, sieges, retreats, attacks, undermines, countermines, bombardments, sea fights, ships sunk with a thousand menâ⬠¦ In similar passages, combining sharp sounds of the explosive consonants C and K add a nature of ruggedness and violence to words like ââ¬Å"cannonsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"muskets, while P and B add to the discomfort felt while reading words like ââ¬Å"pistolsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"bombardments.â⬠But Does Cacophony Always Work?à While it can clearly add color and tone to writing, cacophony can sometimes do more harm than good.à If used for no good reason or too often, it can distract and even aggravate readers, making it hard for them to follow the workââ¬â¢s main plot or to understand its intent. Indeed, many authors strive to avoid injecting ââ¬Å"accidental cacophonyâ⬠into their works. As the noted literary critic M. H. Abrams points out in his book, ââ¬Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms,â⬠a cacophony may be written, ââ¬Å"inadvertent, through a lapse in the writers attention or skill.â⬠However, he stresses, ââ¬Å"cacophony may also be deliberate and functional: for humor, or else for other purposes.â⬠Key Points A cacophony in literature is a combination of words or phrases that sound harsh, jarring, and generally unpleasant.The opposite of cacophony is ââ¬Å"euphony,â⬠a mixture of pleasant or melodious words.The repeated use of ââ¬Å"explosiveâ⬠or ââ¬Å"stopâ⬠consonants like B, D, K, P, T, and G are often used to create a cacophony.Cacophony is used in both poetry and prose.Writers use cacophony to help readers picture and feel the situations or conditions they are describing. Sources ââ¬Å"Euphony and Cacophony.â⬠Encyclopedia Britannica. Online.Bureman, Liz. ââ¬Å"Euphony and Cacophony: A Writerââ¬â¢s Guide.â⬠The Write Practice. Online.Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). ââ¬Å"The Sounds of the Worlds Languages.â⬠Oxford: Blackwell. p. 102. ISBN 0-631-19814-8.Abrams, M. H., ââ¬Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms.â⬠Wadsworth Publishing; 11 edition (January 1, 2014).à ISBN 978-1285465067
Friday, December 20, 2019
Martin Luther King Jr. Violence Essay - 1205 Words
Violence ââ¬Å"The practice of violence, like all action, changes the world, but the most probable change is to a more violent worldâ⬠(Arendt pg 80). Violence is contagious, like a disease, which will destroy nations and our morals as human beings. Each individual has his or her own definition of violence and when it is acceptable or ethical to use it. Martin Luther King Jr., Walter Benjamin, and Hannah Arendt are among the many that wrote about the different facets of violence, in what cases it is ethical, the role we as individuals play in this violent society and the political aspects behind our violence. Martin Luther King Jr. was a brilliant man who preached non-violence to his followers during the fight of equality in deeplyâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦She talks about power of the masses, stating that power is not attainable by the individual but only by masses. Arendt opens her book by directly saying we are the most violent century known to man, always trying to be bigger an d better than another country in this arms race. She talks about the ways in which our society views violence and says humans are naturally violent. Arendt is clearly against war in this book as being unjustifiable and says that war, and violence regarding to politics, is not a means to an end because if we look back in our history we have been fighting war after war with no end. The end will never come; so how then, can one justify the violence of war? In the book, she argues that many of the traits we see in ourselves regarding violence, we see in animals, except animals do not have the ability to reason. Arendt states that, ââ¬Å"violence is neither beastly nor irrational- whether we understand these terms in ordinary language of the humanists or in accordance with scientific theoriesâ⬠(62). The author makes is very clear that when we fail to use our ability to reason and instead introduce violence, we are only repeating our past of being a violent being in which the mean s to our end keeps getting further and further away. Dr. King, Walter Benjamin, and Hannah Arendt all speak of violence in terms of gaining social and political change, Dr. King preaches non violence and loving your enemyShow MoreRelated Martin Luther King Jr. Essay637 Words à |à 3 Pages Martin Luther King, Jr. was perhaps one of the most influential person of our time. As the father of modern civil rights movement, Dr.Martin Luther king, Jr., is recognized around the world as a symbol of freedom and peace. Born January 15, 1929, King was the son of an Atlanta pastor. King accomplished many achievements during his life. He graduated from Morehouse as a minister in 1948 and went on to Crozer Theological seminary in Chester, Pa., where he earned a divinity degree. After that KingRead MoreNon Violent Protest Ãâ" Dr. Martin Luther Kings Moral Disobedience!1563 Words à |à 7 Pages2005 Non violent protest Ãâ" Dr. Martin Luther Kings moral disobedience! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the issue of non-violence in his letter from Birmingham Jail. He states that any law, which is unjust and inhuman, is not a moral law. Dr. Kings argument for non-violent protest against the authorities is just and moral; because any action taken for the greater good of human beings may be called disobedience by the authorities, but as Erich Fromm states in his essay Disobedience as a PsychologicalRead MoreDr. Martin Luther King Research Paper1430 Words à |à 6 PagesCommunications Essay DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SPEECH ââ¬Å"I HAVE A DREAMâ⬠Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15 , 1929 and died on April 4, 1968. He was born Michael Luther King Jr. but decided to change his name to Martin. Both Martin Lutherââ¬â¢s grandfather and father were pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Martin Luther carried on the tradition and served as pastor from 1960-1968 (Nobel Prize, 1). He was a big part of the civil rights movement for his raceRead MoreArgumentative Synthesis Letter from Birmingham Jail1535 Words à |à 7 Pagessegregation to continue due to legal documents in many southern states. Acceptable forms of oppression were separated into four categories: racial segregation; voter suppression, in southern states; denial of economic opportunity; private acts of violence aimed at African Americans. At this time, many civil rights laws were advocated and many African Americans adopted a combined strategy of direct action with nonviolent resistance, known as civil disobedience. There were some positive ac tions throughoutRead More The Rhetoric of Pathos in the Writings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.1141 Words à |à 5 PagesThe Rhetoric of Pathos in the Writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a dream, says Dr. Samuel Proctor, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Rutgers University. All the little children--you hear everywhere you go: I have a dream. All the little children repeating that speech. Its become like the Star Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance. Its entered our culture. And so it has: I have a dream has become one of the most memorable phrases of the twentieth centuryRead MoreMartin Luther King Rhetorical Analysis806 Words à |à 4 PagesRhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s Speech ââ¬Å"I Have a Dreamâ⬠Likita M. Taylor ITT-Tech English 1320: Composition I November 12 2012 Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s Speech ââ¬Å"I Have a Dreamâ⬠ââ¬Å"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.â⬠These are the opening words of Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"I have a dream speechâ⬠, which he predicted will be the foundation of the Civil Rights MovementRead MoreWhere Do We Go from Here Anaysis920 Words à |à 4 Pagescritical essay ââ¬Å"Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?â⬠written by Marin Luther King Jr., is an inquisitive piece who preaches the idea of a peaceful society, Martin also highlights the major issues happening and changing the world at the time. It analyzes events involving World War II and Vietnam War, and uses an example from Greek Literature to apply the concept known as ââ¬Å"Ulysses and the Sirenâ⬠; resulting in a realization that peace is the solution to chaos. Idea Based Martin Luther KingRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech994 Words à |à 4 Pages On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to more than 200,000 people during the March on Washington. Kings speech was one of the most influential during the era of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day recognized as a masterpiece due to its effect on the audience as well as for its eloquence and language. Many components went into this passionate speech that portrayed Kings hopes for racial equality and a brighter future made the speech as moving as it was. ItRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr., ââ¬Å"Letter from Birmingham Jailâ⬠3011 Words à |à 13 Pages[Subject] [Date] Martin Luther king Jr., ââ¬Å"Letter from Birmingham Jailâ⬠Outline 1. Introduction i) Argument about ââ¬Å"Justice and injusticeâ⬠ii) Religious appeals in Kingââ¬â¢s latter iii) Paragraph fourteen of Kingââ¬â¢s latter 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion Introduction The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letterRead MoreEssay about Civil Disobedience935 Words à |à 4 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. civil disobedience is a well-known political action to Americans; first in the application against slavery and second in the application against segregation. Thoreauââ¬â¢s essay ââ¬Å"Civil Disobedienceâ⬠and Kingââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Letter from Birmingham Jailâ⬠are the leading arguments in defining and encouraging the use of civil disobedience to produce justice from the government despite differences in their separate applications. Thoreau and King saw great injustices that
Thursday, December 12, 2019
A Heavy Metal Retrospective The Top 15 Metallica Songs of All Time by Metallica free essay sample
Metallica was formed in 1981 by the collective genius of James Hetfield (rhythm guitar, lead vocals) and Lars Ulrich (drummer), and the duo has never looked back ever since. Although suffering line-up changes due to the untimely death of Cliff Burton (bass guitar) and the departure of Dave Mustaine and Jason Newsted (lead guitar and bass guitar respectively) the band has prospered through these past three decades to bring the world some of the greatest music, spanning genres from thrash metal to hard rock. With the release of their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic in September of 2008, the band has proven their ability to stay relevant in the face of a rapidly changing musical audience while still bringing hardcore fans the heavy metal nostalgia that they crave. So without further ado, I countdown the fifteen greatest Metallica songs of all timeâ⬠¦ 15) ââ¬Å"Sweet Amberâ⬠ââ¬â This is probably the most controversial song to appear on my list. Coming off of the St. Anger album, most fans probably wonââ¬â¢t even recognize this song by name due to the fact that the St. Anger album in its entirety was chastised for its departure from the sound of previous albums. However, after having given the album time to grow on me, I can honestly say that this track in particular deserves its spot at number fifteen. That having been said, St. Anger is definitely one of Metallicaââ¬â¢s weaker installments, bearing only a handful of even semi-notable tracks. 14) ââ¬Å"Fuelâ⬠ââ¬â Used as the intro song for NASCAR televised broadcasts from 2001 till 2003, this track earn its place at number fourteen due to the adrenaline rush it instills in the listener. 13) ââ¬Å"Leper Messiahâ⬠ââ¬â Not quite as swift and frantic as other early Metallica tracks, ââ¬Å"Leper Messiahâ⬠still retains the same original Metallica feel through impressive vocals and a powerful rhythm guitar section. Even listening to it now, I still get chills during some of the chorus lines: ââ¬Å"time for lust, time for lieâ⬠¦time to kiss your life goodbye.â⬠Something about the grit in Hetfieldââ¬â¢s voice is just particularly well displayed in this song. ââ¬Å"Bow to Leper Messiah.â⬠12) ââ¬Å"The Four Horsemenâ⬠ââ¬â The original songwriting credits of this track are still disputed. Dane Mustaine (former lead guitarist of Metallica) has made the assertion that he in fact wrote the song, going so far as to rerecord it with his band, Megadeth, giving the song new lyrics and entitling it ââ¬Å"Mechanixâ⬠. Despite this bit of controversy, ââ¬Å"The Four Horsemenâ⬠is still a superb song in all respects, and easily earns a spot at number twelve. 11) ââ¬Å"No Leaf Clover (SM)â⬠ââ¬â In 1999, Metallica collaborated with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra to perform renditions of their hit songs that had been fused with an orchestral backing. Along with their original songs, the two groups also created two original songs to be played exclusively at their SM gigs. One of these tracks, ââ¬Å"No Leaf Cloverâ⬠, is a testament to the beautiful union of heavy metal and classical orchestra. 10) ââ¬Å"That Was Just Your Lifeâ⬠ââ¬â With the release of Death Magnetic in 2008, Metallica showed that they still had the ability to put out fantastic music. ââ¬Å"That Was Just Your Lifeâ⬠is easily the sickest track off of that album with one of the catchiest choruses of any Metallica song to date, putting it at number ten. 9) ââ¬Å"No Remorseâ⬠ââ¬â Number nine on this list is a throwback to the Kill ââ¬ËEm All album, Metallicaââ¬â¢s first official studio release (which also featured ââ¬Å"The Four Horsemenâ⬠). Raw and incredibly edgy, this album set the tone for all consecutive releases by establishing Metallica as a heavy hitter in the Bay Area metal scene. 8) ââ¬Å"Damage Inc.â⬠ââ¬â As the embodiment of thrash metal, this track signifies all that was right with the 80ââ¬â¢s metal scene. Nobody knew exactly what the fabled Damage Incorporated did, but it didnââ¬â¢t matter: it was quick, it was brutal, and it was perfect for headbanging. What more could you ask for? 7) ââ¬Å"Frayed Ends of Sanityâ⬠ââ¬â Although the entire â⬠¦And Justice For All album is infamous for the lack of a prominent bass guitar sound (supposedly due to Metallica hazing their new bass player at the time, Jason Newsted), ââ¬Å"Frayed Ends of Sanityâ⬠can still be called a magnificent track. The song touches on the subject of being driven into irrational insanity, and the mental struggle of coping with oneââ¬â¢s own delusions. 6) ââ¬Å"Batteryâ⬠ââ¬â This song is one of the most frequently covered Metallica tracks, and for good reason. ââ¬Å"Batteryâ⬠needs little explanation of why itââ¬â¢s great; suffice to say that if you havenââ¬â¢t heard it yet, youââ¬â¢re really missing out. It features not only one of the most amazing Metallica solos in their repertoire, but a mind blowing acoustic intro as well. Interestingly enough, German a capella group, Van Canto has done a rather amusing rendition of ââ¬Å"Batteryâ⬠(available for viewing on YouTube). Definitely worth checking out if youââ¬â¢re already familiar with the song. 5) ââ¬Å"Ride The Lightningâ⬠ââ¬â The title track off of Metallicaââ¬â¢s second studio album, ââ¬Å"Ride The Lightningâ⬠is the final Metallica song to feature Dave Mustaine in the songwriting credits. Despite his many problems with drug addiction and alcoholism during his time in Metallica, itââ¬â¢s quite clear that Mustaine had no issue writing grade-A quality metal. ââ¬Å"Ride The Lightningâ⬠is a masterpiece from start to finish, putting it at number five. 4) ââ¬Å"Oneâ⬠ââ¬â Achieving quite a bit of notoriety through the video game medium of Guitar Hero 3, ââ¬Å"Oneâ⬠has been placed with the unfortunate stigma of being ââ¬Å"that Metallica songâ⬠. The song that if you say you really enjoy, you are immediately questioned to determine if you really like Metallica, or if you only like them because they have a cool song featured on a well known video game. While this can be somewhat annoying at times, ââ¬Å"Oneâ⬠is a phenomenal part of the â⬠¦And Justice For All album, and is well deserving of being the fourth greatest Metallica song of all time. 3) ââ¬Å"The Call of Ktuluâ⬠ââ¬â Who would have thought that Metallica was capable of writing a stunning instrumental? While the presence of James Hetfieldââ¬â¢s vocals are sorely missed, the instrumental work on ââ¬Å"The Call of Ktuluâ⬠is absolutely stupendous, and thatââ¬â¢s what earns it the right to be in the number three spot. 2) ââ¬Å"Master of Puppetsâ⬠ââ¬â It is extremely difficult for me to put this song at number two. Perhaps itââ¬â¢s my awareness of the cliche of this song ending up as number one on a lot of ââ¬Å"best of Metallicaâ⬠lists, but something is restraining me from giving it the number one spot. But donââ¬â¢t let that detract at all from this song; this track is, unquestionably, the anthem of any heavy metal enthusiast. I listen to this song when I wake up in the morning, I listen to it during car rides, I even try to listen to it during boring class lectures if my teacher is particularly unobservant. This song is engrained into the blood of the metal community, and although it isnââ¬â¢t quite number one, itââ¬â¢s a darn close second. 1) ââ¬Å"Enter Sandmanâ⬠â⬠¦I only jest. While Enter Sandman (off of The Black Album) is often herald as representing the bandââ¬â¢s most significant mainstream success, it is far from being their number one track. The true greatest Metallica song of all time isâ⬠¦ 1) ââ¬Å"Fade To Blackâ⬠ââ¬â This song came as a shock to many early Metallica fans, as it sounded nothing like anything they had ever written beforehand. It did away with the fast-passed riffs and harsh vocals, substituting them with something a lot softer by Metallica standards. This resulted in a song that alienated quite a bit of their hardcore fanbase. Itââ¬â¢s my firm belief that those hardcore fans are blind to the heart behind this song, especially considering itââ¬â¢s significance following the passing of former bassist, Cliff Burton. Admittedly itââ¬â¢s not the ruthless escapade to be expected from the same people who gave us tracks like ââ¬Å"Hit The Lightsâ⬠and ââ¬Å" Fight Fire With Fireâ⬠, but thatââ¬â¢s fine in my eyes. It doesnââ¬â¢t try to replicate the sound of its predecessors, it stands on itââ¬â¢s own as the greatest Metallica song of all time, and possibly even the greatest song to come out of the entire metal genre.
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