Literary Luminary
Gabriel Lichte
Two Examples of Similes and Metaphors
To begin with, a simile is a literary element which compares two unlike things by using the words, "like" or "as". The first line that uses this literary element states "Dumb as a dog he listened, and heard the robber say-" (Line 24) because this line compares Tim to a dog by using the word "as" to compare the two things. The meaning of the line is the poem is comparing Tim to a dog of how he is eavesdropping on the highwayman to hear what he had to say to Bess. In addition, another line that uses a simile states "Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky," (Line 86) because the line uses the word "like" to compare the highwayman to a madman. The meaning of the line is describing of how the highwayman is screaming because he sees that Bess, the women he cared about laying on the ground, dead. A metaphor is also a literary element that compares two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as". To begin with, a line that uses this literary element states "The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees," (Line 1) because the line is comparing the wind to a torrent of darkness without using the words "like" or "as". The meaning of line is that the line is describing of how the wind has a powerful gusty force against the trees. Finally, another line that uses this literary element states "The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon the cloudy seas," (Line 2) because the line is comparing the moon to a ghostly galleon without using "like" or "as". The meaning of the line is that the poem is describing that the moon is ghostly galleon which is a sailing ship from the 15th to 17th century that is sailing on clouds shaped like an ocean.
One Example of Alliteration and Vivid Imagery
To begin with, an alliteration is a literary element that uses constant sounds that are repeated at the beginning of words. For instance, an example of an alliteration is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" just as the image shows the alliteration to the right. One line from the poem that uses this literary element states "Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard," (Line 13) because the line uses the words "cobbles", "clattered", and "clashed" which all have constant sounds that are repeated at the beginning of these words. The meaning of the line is that the highwayman made a lot of noise when he clattered and clashed the cobbles in the inn-yard. Finally, vivid imagery is also another literary element that has a vivid, descriptive language that appeals to the senses. One line that uses vivid imagery states "Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!" (Line 81) because the line uses the word "drenched" to describe the moment Bess shot herself. The meaning of the line is that Bess was laying on the ground, dead after shooting herself to warn the highwayman that the redcoats were nearby.