Diction and Imagery in Literary Texts, Free Essay for Everyone

The imagery in a work of art is one that is inspired by the fact that the author needs to have excellent diction to relay the message that is intended. Imagery is one of the things that will make the reader have the expected message in a manner that is not only interesting but also in a way that is captivating. Word choice apart from creating a mental picture in the mind of the reader, even has one looking for the various types of meaning that any word has (Kennedy, and Goia, 424). Every word has a literal meaning and other implied meanings that majorly contribute to making the imagery in any work of art concise. This paper aims to look at the impact that diction and imagery have in bringing out the themes in William Blake's poem London and Oedipus the King.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

One of the words that set out the intended theme in Oedipus the King is the intentional use of the words that describe the ability to see. The phrase sight, vision, eyes, and blindness all prepare reader to foreshadow the tragic events that would later follow the King. The fact that sight and vision are also a representation of the search for knowledge also help the reader to have a glimpse of the fact that the central theme of the play (Sophocles,10). The central idea of the play is one that is all about the need for one to search for Knowledge to avoid finding themselves in the situation that the king finds themselves in. It is also essential that one looks at the need for the author to continually use the words sight and vision as they are the ones that help one to understand the whole play and also foreshadow the impact that the lack of knowledge can have on a person. Besides, the constant use of all words that imply the need for one to have the vision is one that means that the reader needs to understand the importance of being a visionary and an intelligent leader. One such example is Teiresias who is blind at a literal level but is one who can deduce the meaning of the calamity that has afflicted the people and the horrors that have afflicted the people (Sophocles,12). Word choice in the text hence not only brings out the meaning of the play but also gives the reader some suggested implications of the deliberate use of the words that are related to the aspect of vision that one is left to ponder about (Kennedy, and Goia, 20). One gets the irony that the author intends as the very person who once saved the country from the Sphinx is one that is doomed to spend the rest of the life in the torment of having slept with their mother.

In the poem, London by William Blake is one that looks at the importance of having the message delivered in a concise and economy friendly way that gives the intended message. Given the characteristic economy of words in poetry, it is essential that one looks at the how the author has brought out the central theme of corruption that he describes as the apocalypse (Kennedy, and Goia, 430). Also, the choice of the word apocalypse is one that creates in the mind of the reader the hell that they are experiencing. The word choice in the poem also creates a sad mood that helps the reader to get the message that William Blake wants to pass on to the reader. This is achieved through the use of techniques that rely entirely on the diction such as alliteration that is in abundance in the poem.

When one looks at the first stanza, the word Chartered is used to describe the streets of London and the renowned River Thames. The word choice is one that one comes to deduce is one that is picked to create satire the early capitalism that encouraged the people to have a loophole ion being awarded corrupt tenders as they continued to develop the country (Kennedy, and Goia,430). The persona further notices that there are marks of weaknesses among the citizens implying the exploitation that is taking place by the aristocrats. The fact that the citizens have marks on their faces also means that the people are really at their end days as they have the marks of the beast as foretold in Revelation. The people in London are people who all have some distinct marks that make the reader to relate on the despondence that the persona feels about the obvious desperation that has engulfed the residents of London. Such message can only be relayed accurately when there is a well thought diction. The diction would help the reader to understand the implications that the people of London are going through as aristocrats are out there benefitting.

In the second stanza, one is bound to notice the emphasis that the author has employed by using the word 'Every' in every line. One hence gets the need to have an image about the desperate times that the ordinary citizens of London are going through as they eke a living (Kennedy, and Goia,430). The third stanza one also looks at the exploitation that the children go through and through the choice of words such as Hear one can have a mental picture about the torment that they are experiencing.

Both texts, employ the diction in a manner that creates an image in the mind of the reader while helping them to come to an understanding of the central idea that the authors are trying to pass on to the audience(Kennedy, and Goia,422). It is therefore essential that one looks at the choice of words before looking at the meaning of the words and their role in relaying the message to the reader.

Works Cited

Kennedy, X.J, and Dana Goia. Backpack Literature: An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry, Drama, And Writing. 5th ed., Pearson, 2016, pp. 421-433.

Sophocles. Oedipus The King.