Literary Devices in “Hearty Garlands” by S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza
“Hearty Garlands” by S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza is a poem written in praise of an elder on the occasion of his eighty-fifth birthday. The themes in “Hearty Garlands” revolve around aging and celebration. This article covers the use of literary devices in “Hearty Garlands”.
Literary Devices in “Hearty Garlands” by S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza
1. Metaphor
Examples
Life’s progress is said to be a blooming of “stark beauty” (line 4).
Failures were said to lack “trite, crippling regrets” (line 5).
Age eighty-five is captured as “life’s smiley, cloudless dawn” (line 14).
Metaphors were used throughout the poem to lend clarity to the depth of the things expressed by the speaker.
2. Personification
Examples
“Hope now nods in contented concert with spent desires” (line 16)
“Now restful Hope neither nags nor raves nor rants” (line 17)
“Envy fights benign Felicitation exclusively couched” (line 6)
“Your heart sits on garlanded satis shores
Looking out to sea for health delivering vessels” (lines 19 & 20)
Hope and heart here were given human attributes. Hope is said to nod with spent desires, and does not nag nor rant. Whereas, Heart sits on garlanded satis shore looking out to sea. Envy fights and Felicitation couched.
The expressions show that hope has transformed and now is a satisfied force, gentle and not demanding and the heart is fulfilled and peaceful.
All the expressions give human qualities to inanimate things.
3. Imagery
Example 1
“your heart sits on garlanded satis shores
Looking out to sea for health delivering vessels.” (lines 19 & 20)
The writer gives you things to imagine that paint vivid pictures in your mind. The example above leaves you with the picture of someone sitting at the shore watching a vessel arrive by sea, clearly painted in your mind and you can see it alive.
Example 2
“Life’s whole process blooms into stark beauty” (line 4)
This paints a picture of a beautiful flower blooming in the mind of the reader, with a beautiful face.
4. Antithesis
Example 1
“Yet. On occasion, shamed, horrid green-eyed
Envy fights benign Felicitation exclusively couched”
The juxtaposition of envy and felicitation in the lines above shows that the writer acknowledges that both can exist side-by-side in the face of accomplishments. However, envy gives way when the celebratory congratulatory message is genuine.
Example 2
“Hope now nods in contented concert with spent desires” (line 16)
“Now restful Hope neither nags nor raves nor rants” (line 17)
This is a clear indication that Hope is often unsettling, demanding, and tasking. But at the age celebrated in the poem, Hope has lost its ability to cause pain, rather, it is now peaceful.
5. Alliteration
Examples
“Life’s whole process blooms into stark beauty” (line 3)
“Receive copious blessings today, d stay well blessed” (line 7)
In these lines, the “b” sound repeats in “blooms” and “beauty”, “blessings” and “blessed” adding rhythm to the poem and emphasis to the transformation of life described.
6. Anaphora
Examples
“As you” (line 3)
“For you” (line 8”
“To you” (line 13)
“At you” (line 18)
“Must you” (line 23)
“By you” (line 28)
“Could you” (line 33)
This repetition in the third line of every stanza emphasises the praise directly addresses the celebrant. It creates a rhythmic structure yet in a formal tone adding colour to the poem.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Hearty Garlands is a panegyric poem that is focused on aging, wisdom, and a life well lived. It is rich in metaphors and some other literary devices like personification, alliteration, and anaphora add rhythm with vivid imagery. The tone is formal yet warm and the use of language is reflective and celebratory.
Did you identify any other use of Literary Devices in “Hearty Garlands” by S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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Hearty Garlands by S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza
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