"Reapers" by Jean Toomer Essay Example

Introduction

Imagery is a form of symbolic speech where the conveyer of the message uses it to create an impressive picture in the audience's mind. The imagery in poetry can be visual or audio. Visual uses images to appeal sight experiences while audio focuses on sounds. Notably, eye effect is made by describing intangible things such as perception, intelligence, and culture. On the other side, the auditory imagery is depicted through solid matter that can produce sounds.

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Imagery enables the audience to stick to the relayed information for a long time as it boosts their memory. This style breaks the monotony of a text or a speech as it promotes critical thinking. This advantage makes it valid in attracting and maintaining the audience attention in the literature.

"Reapers" by Jean Toomer

Question One

The detail that vividly strikes the mind's eye is the line, "Black Horses drive a mower through the weeds." Generally, the poem is against industrialization as the poet thinks that it deprives people of humanity. Notably, the line introduces the audience to the use of machines; thus, it is relevant to the mind since it prepares the audience to see the cruelty that comes with the use of machines.

Question Two

The words "silent swinging," represents visual imagery. It creates a picture on the reader's mind of how the farmers are doing their work keenly. Furthermore, the audience can learn how to reap a field through the imagery used in the words as it vividly describes the procedure.

Question Three

"Sound of steel of on stones" presents a musical tone. The rhythm form the words' sound delivers a happy mood that motivates the farmers to do their work joyfully. On the other hand, "field rat, startled, squealing bleeds" presents a somber sound filled with pain and anguish.

Question Four

The poem makes me feel convinced that the invention of machinery is the source of inhumanity. In the beginning, it depicts that human labor causes little harm by starting with the musical sounds of the hand-tools. Contrary to the introduction, the end of the piece ends with an anguish pain of the field rat that is hurt by the mow, which is an invention of industrialization. I also become shocked at how other characters fail to help the ailing rat. Instead, they continue with their business leaving the poor creature to bleed to death. These events manage to persuade me not to embrace industrialization fully.

Figures of Speech

"Why Speak Figuratively"

Figures of speech enable a writer or a speaker to relay information that seems to be harsh to the ears of the audience. This trait is suitable in calming conflicts as the conveyer of information manages to sieve troublesome words to make them more appealing and polite. Notably, speaking figuratively involves honest communication since it requires the individual to select kind words that can uncover unwanted truth skillfully. It promotes truthful deliverance of messages by giving stressing on them to depict emphasis.

Furthermore, figures of speech are essential in terms' comparison. They provide a comprehensive recognition of relations ship between words through describing their likeliness such as shape, age, and color. Importantly, they help a writer or a speaker to incorporate the audience into his/her works. This take enables the readers, or the listeners picture the information they are being fed in their brains. As a result, the audiences relate effectively with the idea; thus, they obtain a better understanding of the information.

Metaphor and Simile

Metaphors and similes are both used in comparing words and phrases. They provide a connection between the concerned subject to a different one. The relationship is usually based on the appearances and characteristics of the discussed items. For example, "as brave as a lion" means that the object or person mentioned observe the brevity of the lion.

Importantly, the difference between these two figures of speech is portrayed by the presence or the absence of a connective. A simile is identified with connectives whereas a metaphor lacks. As a result, metaphors are not limited to the number of resemblances while similes only focus on the comparison of two items that have a similar character. For example, to say " Sarah is as brave as a lion" means that we are comparing Sara with a lion who have a common trait of brevity. Therefore, this comparison is a simile it is limited between two items, and it has a connective "as." Consequently, the metaphor will be "Sarah is a lion." Here we are not limited to a single behavior like in the case of simile; instead, the phrase can be used to depict many traits.

Metaphors and similes are useful in boosting the audience's comprehension of the message. They link unfamiliar information to the things that are known to create a mental picture of the intended message. For example, in the above case, one may not know who Sarah is but can figure out how she is brave.

Negro

Down the street alone I walk shyly

Left, right and everywhere, I see no coal

The yellow pumpkins stare at me bluntly

The silent grave I opt to call

Light vegetables mumble at me foully

I, the coal continue to walk the hall.