Contentment: Escaping Materialism

Contentment: Escaping Materialism Oliver Wendell Holmes gives an intriguing illustration of humble life in Contentment. The speaker personas metaphor to trivialize the status symbols that kinship group strive to acquire. Alliteration is effectively used to place tenseness on items that the speaker considers luxurious. In each stanza, Holmes uses elaborate opthalmic imagery to engage readers and highlight the materialistic desires of individuals. The speaker understandably states his appreciation for modest living and his displeasure with a spiritedness aimed at acquiring material possessions. Metaphor, alliteration, imagery and tone are the devices that make this poem successful. Honors are silly toys (Holmes 1445, 20). Silly (20) gives readers the seal off that these honors have no benefit for society. The assertion that honors are toys (20) makes these honors search unimportant and childish. The enjoyment derived from them is as brief as from a childs playth ing. The person being admired cogency play with the idea of being honored as a child plays with toys. The speaker says, titles are plainly empty name calling (21). He contends that only the holder or seeker of a title assigns significance to it. Holmes uses these metaphors, honors are silly toys and titles are notwithstanding empty names, to expose the arbitrary nature of status. Perhaps, for just a single spurt,/Some seconds less would do no wound (42-43). The S sound is repeated four times in quick succession to draw attention to the speakers assertion that a rapid or gaudy gymnastic horse is not necessary for travel. Even though horses are no longer used for transportation, the reader can draw parallels amongst them and the luxurious automobiles that serve as status symbols today. Three more(prenominal) than uses of alliteration, some little prodigality there/Of red moroccos howling(a) gleam/And vellum rich as country cream (53-55), aspirate in a collection of f inely veneered books a luxury majestic wha! t is necessary for contented living. The most important use of...If you trust to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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