Thursday, November 10, 2011

Cavalry Crossing a Ford by Walt Whitman p. 793

How does Whitman's use of figurative language help bring sound and movement to the poem?

12 comments:

bekaht12 said...

Whitman's use of sensory imagery best brings sound and movement to the "Calvary Crossing a Ford." He describes the islands as green, a bright, shining color, then describes the flashing of armor in the sun. Whitman then uses onomatopoeia to help one hear the "clanks" and "splashes" as the men ford a strip of ocean between islands. Whitman also describes the colors of the calvary's flags to give one yet another sense excitement and movement as they "flutter." Without the figurative language in this poem, there would be no depth or emotion.

CK said...

Through the use of imagery and alliteration, Whitman brings sounds and movement to the poem. The image of "arms flash[ing] in the sun" demonstrates that this Cavalry is moving quickly. Alliteration is then seen when the speaker says "flags flutter." This alliteration portrays the movement of the flag while also creating the distinct sound of a flying flag. Whitman also does one more thing to create movement in this poem. He writes the poem so that lines three and six are indented. This indention, in a way, creates movement in the poem.

Aaron Bowman said...

In Whitman's poem "Cavalry Crossing a Ford", he uses diction to help bring sound and movement to the poem. Examples of diction are words such as "clank" and "flutter". Because both of these words are not typically used to describe the action of someone (specifically the Calvary) , the reader must the read over the poems lines more than once. As a result, a clearer image of the whole poem is ensued upon. Also, the speaker uses the syntax of long drawn out lines within the poem to emphasize the long drawn out movement of the Calvary. By using diction and syntax, the speaker clearly brings out sound and movement to the poem.

Mary Caitlin said...

Whitman uses figurative language to bring about sound and movement to his poem, "Cavalry Crossing a Ford." Whitman specifically uses imagery, alliteration, and caesuras to best bring about the sound and movement. All of the caesuras create a pause in different parts of the poem, creating movement throughout the poem. "Behold the silvery river" is an example of the imagery he uses. The imagery alsp helps to create movement. Lastly, Whitman uses alliteration to create sound in the poem. "The guidon flags flutter gaily in the wind," creates the sound of flags rippling and flying in the wind. All of these devices help Whitman to emphasize the Cavalry.

cdm37 said...

Imagery, alliteration, and onomatopoeia are used by Whitman in "Calvary Crossing a Ford" to bring movement and sound to the poem. "Splashing horses" give readers the image of horses moving about through the river as they cross. When he says "flags flutter gaily in the wind", the movement of the flag is described through imagery, while the sound of the flag is described through alliteration. Lastly, Onomatopoeia is seen when the speaker describes the "clanks" of their movement to provide sounds for the readers as they read the poem.

annamac said...

The descriptive diction and alliteration that Whitman uses best bring sound and movement to his poem. Whitman uses the word "serpentine" to describe the course the calvary takes, which adds a curvy, flowing feel to the poem. He also uses "splashing" to add sound and movement to the water, and "clank" emphasizes the noisiness of the soldiers. Whitman writes, "The guidon flags flutter gaily in the wind." This alliteration draws attention to the movement of the flags. The diction and alliteration that Whitman utilizes in "Cavalry Crossing a Ford" help make the poem very lifelike.

Anonymous said...

In the poem "Cavalry Crossing a Ford," by Walt Whitman, the speaker uses figurative language to more effectively bring about both sound and movement. Specifically, he uses descriptive diction, onomatopoeia, and alliteration. Such diction is perhaps most evident in the phrase, "They wind betwixt green islands, / They take a serpentine course." This describes their movement as winding. Onomatopoeia is found in the words "clank" and "splashing." Words such as these thoroughly bring sound to the poem. In the final stanza, alliteration is used. As the speaker describes the flags fluttering in the wind, he alliterates the "f" sound, which yields the sound of a flag, fluttering.

Seth Frazier said...

Whitman uses Imagery and alliteration to apropriately portray his poem "Cavalry Crossing a Ford." Imagery is used through the setting and to describe the movement of the soldiers. "The guidon flags flutter gaily in the wind," is a good example of alliteration and how is creates the sound of a flag moving in the readers head as the poem is read.

Bwood said...

Whitman uses his syntax and diction to show the movement and sounds of the battle at hand. CK makes a great point with the poem's body style as it shows the movement of the army as it goes into formation. He also uses words such as, "clank," and, " flutter," to show the sounds of battle. These noises are some of the distinct sounds that are going on in battle and they emphasize the movements as they go into formation. Whitman does a tremendous job using onomatopoeia and syntax to bring life into "Calvary Crossing a Ford."

Rubik said...

Whitman uses alot of imagery to bring sound and movement to the poem. The river he describes as, "A line in long array where they wind betwixt green islands, / They take a serpentine course, their arms flash in [...] Behold the silvery river[...]" Using this, one can just image the river. Islands on both sides, a nice silver color to the river, and it winds all throughout the islands. Because of the windings, one can concur that the water is changing direction and therefore splashing on itself or the embankment. The sound just illuminates through the readers head as he reads the description of the reader.

DTrag said...

Whitman's use of alliterations, imagery, and indention help bring sound and movement to the poem. He uses alliteration when saying the "flags flutter" to create a rhythmic feeling of a flag blowing in the wind. He also uses imagery when describing the armour lashing radiantly in the sun, and the image of horses splashing through the rivers. He finally uses his own indentions to fluidly create movement throughout his poem and to give his poem a since of momentum.

DTrag said...

Whitman's use of alliterations, imagery, and indention help bring sound and movement to the poem. He uses alliteration when saying the "flags flutter" to create a rhythmic feeling of a flag blowing in the wind. He also uses imagery when describing the armour lashing radiantly in the sun, and the image of horses splashing through the rivers. He finally uses his own indentions to fluidly create movement throughout his poem and to give his poem a since of momentum.