FIGURES OF SPEECH, ALLITERATION AND SIMILE

Lesson 5 American Poetry

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Family: Henry was the son of Stephen Longfellow and Zilpah Wadsworth Longfellow. He was born February 27, 1807, in Portland, Maine. Portland was a seaport, and this gave its citizens a breadth of view lacking in the more insular New England towns. The variety of people and the activity of the harbors stirred the mind of the boy and gave him a curiosity about life beyond his own immediate experience

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

EDUCATION:

He was sent to school when he was only three years old. When he was six, the following report of him was received at home:

"Master Henry Longfellow is one of the best boys we have in school. He spells and reads very well. He can also add and multiply numbers. His conduct last quarter was very correct and amiable."

Longfellow's father was eager to have his son become a lawyer. But when Henry was a senior at Bowdoin College at 19, the college established a chair of modern languages. The recent graduate was asked to become the first professor, with the understanding that he should be given a period of time in which to travel and study in Europe.

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

CAREER:

Much tribute is due him as a teacher. Just as he served America in making the world conscious of its legend and tradition, so he opened to his students and to the American people the literary heritage of Europe. He created in them the new consciousness of the literature of Spain, France, Italy, and especially writings from the German, Nordic, and Icelandic cultures.

His storytelling ability and simple direct poetic style make his writing quite enjoyable. He wrote several popular longer poems such as the familiar The Song of Hiawatha. He used many poetic techniques such as figures of speech.

FIGURES OF SPEECH

Figures of speech in literature are expressions that clarify the meaning.

Two figures of speech used often in poetry are alliteration and simile.

ALLITERATION

Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginnings of two or more words in a line of poetry. An excellent example is this childhood verse;

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”.

SIMILE

A simile compares two seemingly different things by saying one is like or as the other.

If you said, “she eats like a bird,” you have created a simile.

“EXCELSIOR”

These poetic devices are found in “Excelsior” by Henry WadsworthLongfellow.

This is a narrative poem that deals with the pursuit of a high or lofty goal.

In it a young man sets such a goal and is tempted by various means to keep him from attaining it.

He keeps saying, “Excelsior,” or higher, higher yet.

 

EXCELSIOR HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

The shades of night were falling fast,

As through an Alpine village passed

A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,

A banner with the strange device,

Excelsior!

His brow was sad; his eye beneathFlashed like a

falchion from its sheath,

And like a silver clarion rung

The accents of that unknown tongue,

Excelsior!

In happy homes he saw the lightOf household fires gleam warm and

bright;Above, the spectral glaciers shone,And from his lips escaped a groan,

Excelsior!

"Try not the Pass," the old man said;"Dark lours the tempest overhead,

The roaring torrent is deep and wide!"

And loud that clarion voice replied,Excelsior!

"O stay," the maiden said, "and restThy weary head upon this breast!"A tear stood in his bright blue eye,But still he answered, with a sigh,Excelsior!

"Beware the pine-tree's withered branch!Beware the awful avalanche!"This was the peasant's last Good-night.A voice replied, far up the height,Excelsior!

At break of day, as

heavenwardThe pious

monks of Saint Bernard

Uttered the oft-repeated prayer,

A voice cried through the startled air,Excelsior!

A traveller, by the faithful hound,Half-buried in the snow was found,Still grasping in his hands of iceThat banner with the strange device,Excelsior!

There in the twilight cold and

gray,Lifeless, but beautiful, he

lay,And from the

sky, serene and far,

A voice fell, like a falling star,

Excelsior!

1) THE SETTING OF THE POEM IS

A) dawn B) midnight C) dusk (early evening)D) noon E) morning

TRY AGAIN!!

CORRECT!!

2) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF “AN ALPINE VILLAGE” IMPLIES

A) a seaport townB) a mountainous village like in the

Alps C) a beach D) the desert E) a rocky, wooded area in the

West

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CORRECT!!

3) THE FIRST TEMPTATION THROWN INTO THE PATH OF THE YOUNG MAN IN STANZA THREE IS

A) moneyB) the warmth of hearth and homeC) a beautiful mansion to live in

the rest of his lifeD) a mountainous ski resortE) none of these

Correct Answer: B

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CORRECT!!

4) THE OLD MAN IN THE FOURTH STANZA REPRESENTS THE VOICE OF

A) wisdom B) hate C) love D) companionship E) youth Correct Answer: A

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CORRECT!!

5) IN STANZA FIVE THE YOUTH SHEDS A TEAR BECAUSE HE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS TEMPTATION OF

A) wealth B) youth C) adventure D) love E) none of these.

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CORRECT!!

6) THE PEASANT IN STANZA SIX IS THE VOICE OF

A) maturity B) youth C) nature D) love E) experience Correct Answer: E

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CORRECT!!

7) THE MEANING OF STANZA SEVEN IS

A) dogs were sent to look for the young man,

B) the monks who live in out-of-the-way places heard the youth’s voice C) the monks welcomed the young man into their monastery D) the monks remembered the young

man in their morning prayers E) none of these

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CORRECT!!

8) THE “TRAVELER” MENTIONED IN STANZA EIGHT IS

A) the young man seeking a high goal

B) the dog sent to find the youth C) someone un-related to the story D) a monk from the monastery of

St. Bernard E) none of these

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CORRECT!!

9) IN THE FINAL STANZA, THE YOUNG MAN HAS FROZEN TO DEATH, YET THE POET SAYS HE IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE

A) he was a handsome youth B) his clothes were attractive C) the monks did a good job

preparing him for burial D) he died in an attempt to reach

his goal E) all of these Correct Answer: D

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CORRECT!!

10) THE FOLLOWING LINE IS AN EXAMPLE OF SIMILE:

A) “The shades of night were falling fast” B) “The roaring torrent is deep and wide” C) “his eye beneath flashed like a falchion from its sheath"

D) “This was the peasant’s last Goodnight”

E) “A voice cried through the shattered air” Correct Answer: C

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CORRECT!!

11) LOCATE AT LEAST FIVE EXAMPLES OF ALLITERATION

falling fast, as an Alpine, brow beneath, flashed falchion from, happy homes he, spectral shone, bright blue, still sigh, awful avalanche, there twilight, lifeless lay, sky serene, fell falling

REREAD THE SELECTION WITH THE IDEA OF RETELLING THE STORY IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

Introduce the young man, the setting, and the idea of the pursuit of a high and lofty goal.

Mention all the temptations thrown into his path as he proceeds on his journey.

Discuss his death and how the poem still ends on a positive note.

Bring the story to a well-rounded conclusion.

RUBRIC5 4 3 2 1

Introduction Includes setting, young man, lofty goal

Includes two of three requirement

Includes one of three

Doesn’t mention any but has a topic sentence.

Poor topic sentence.

Temptations Includes five temptations

Includes 4 out of 5

Includes 3 out of 5

Includes 2 out of 5

Includes 1 out of 5

Death/positivenote

Describes death and positive note

Describes one out of two

No details of either but mentions both

No details but mentions one

No mention of this verse

Conclusion Summary of poem and state purpose and oppinion

Includes two out three

Includes one of three

No summary or purpose but has conclusion

Ends with no conclusion

Writing Convention

No errors in grammar, punctuation

One or two errors

Two or three errors

Three or four errors

More than four errors