What poetic device is used in Nicholas Nye
a. Alliteration
b. Rhyming scheme
c. Personification
Answers
Nicholas Nye
A lovely poem written by Walter de la Mare, it throws light on the difficulties of being undesirable and friendless, through an example of a simple hee-hawing donkey. A beautiful meadow with beautiful flowers, but the author lay there basking in the sun alone. Alone, except for an old, worn out donkey, whose companions had also left him stranded. The poem draws a fine picture of a donkey and a person, connected with the feeling of empathy, of being unloved.
Below are the poetic devices seen in the poem:
a. Alliteration
Alliteration shows a repetition of words beginning with the same letter. It grabs the attention of readers because it sounds pleasant when said.
Examples from the text:
"...Half asleep and half awake"
"...Would sometimes stoop and sigh"
"...And a clean calm light in his eye"
"...Asking not wherefore nor why"
b. Rhyming scheme
If the last word of each line in a verse forms some rhyming pattern, it is a rhyming scheme. It adds some richness to the poem. Through these examples of the rhyming scheme in this poem, you would understand better:
"Thistle and darnell and dock grew there, a
And a bush, in the corner, of may, b
On the orchard wall I used to sprawl c
In the blazing heat of the day" b
You see, the second line and the fourth line are given the same b because their last words rhyme, while the last words of the first line and the third line don't rhyme so they are given different letters. Throughout the poem, the rhyming scheme abcb is followed. Another example:
"He munched the thistles, purple and spiked, a
Would sometimes stoop and sigh, b
And turn his head, as if he’d said, c
‘Poor Nicholas Nye!" b
c. Personification
When you add a trait of a human, something only a human being can do, to a non-human object, it is called personification.
How is personification used in this poem? The poem is about a poor old donkey, who basks everyday in the meadow pitying his poor old self. The poet has put in traits of a human in the donkey throughout the whole poem. In the poem, the donkey feels. He goes through emotions like sadness and loneliness, just like us humans do. He also smiles and sighs.
Examples from the text:
"...He munched the thistles, purple and spiked,
Would sometimes stoop and sigh"
"...Seem to be smiling at me, he would,
From his bush in the corner, of may"
Apart from alliteration, rhyming scheme and personification, here are some more poetic devices that the poem uses:
Epiphora
At the end of the verses, the same words "Nicholas Nye" are used. This is an epiphora.
Assonance
It may be a new term to you, but it is a bit similar to rhyming scheme. It adds harmony to the song. For example:
"On the orchard wall I used to sprawl..."
"And nobody there my lone to share..."
Enjambment
"Something much better than words between me
And Nicholas Nye"
Here, a line breaks before the sentences ends. Therefore, the sentence is continued in the next line. This is enjambment.
And we're done :D
Answer:
Nicholas Nye
A beautiful poem by Walter de la Mare illustrates the challenges of being unwelcome and friendless with the help of a straightforward hee-hawing donkey. A lovely field filled with lovely flowers, yet it was just the author there, enjoying the warmth. Aside from an old, worn-out donkey whose pals had likewise abandoned him, he was all alone. The poem beautifully depicts a donkey and a person, connecting them with the empathy-inducing, neglected sensation. The following are some of the poetry's literary devices:
Explanation:
a. Alliteration:
The recurrence of words that start with the same letter is known as alliteration. Because it sounds good when spoken, it draws readers' attention.
Cases are drawn from the text:
"...half asleep and half awake"
"...Would sometimes stoop and sigh"
"...And a clean calm light in his eye"
"...Asking not wherefore nor why"
b. Rhyming scheme:
A verse is rhymed if the final word in each line creates some sort of pattern. It gives the poetry a little more depth. You would better comprehend the rhyming pattern in this poem by looking at these examples:
"Thistle and Darnell and dock grew there, a
And a bush, in the corner, of may, b
On the orchard wall, I used to sprawl c
In the blazing heat of the day" b
As you can see, the last words of the second and fourth lines rhyme, so they receive the same letter b, however the last words of the first and third lines don't rhyme, so they receive a different letter. The poem follows the rhyme pattern abab all the way through. Another illustration:
"He munched the thistles, purple and spiked, a
Would sometimes stoop and sigh, b
And turn his head, as if he’d said c
‘Poor Nicholas Nye!" b
c. Personification:
Personification is the process of giving a non-human item a human characteristic or a human ability.
How does this poetry employ personification? The poem tells the story of an elderly donkey who spends every day in the meadow feeling sorry for himself. Throughout the entirety of the poem, the poet gives the donkey human characteristics. The poem's donkey expresses emotion. Like all people, he experiences negative emotions like despair and loneliness. He sighs and grinned as well.
Cases are drawn from the text:
"...He munched the thistles, purple and spiked,
Would sometimes stoop and sigh"
"...Seem to be smiling at me, he would,
From his bush in the corner, of may"
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