Assignment
12
Author’s Note: Lesson 12 covered the use of symbols and
metaphors in your writing. While the lesson pointed out that most symbols that
are used in writing are unintentional, some can be intentional. Intentional
symbols are symbols that relate to an important character, setting, or theme in
your story. Since the first part of the assignment was to write about an
intentional symbol, I decided to use a river. (I was listening to Bruce
Springsteen’s “The River” when I started to write this assignment, so I blame
it on The Boss.) The second part of the assignment was to write an extended
metaphor. I decided to use a method known as “synesthetic metaphor.” A
synesthetic metaphor is one in which two or more bodily senses are coupled in
response to a stimulus. The concept of the synesthetic metaphor is based on a
psychiatric disorder known as synesthesia, which is when a person’s brain
reacts in an unusual manner to a stimulus (like a person “hearing” a color or
“tasting” a sound). However, when synesthetic metaphors are used in writing, no
one is having issues with their mental status. The point of a synesthetic
metaphor is to invoke incredibly vivid imagery through the use of most of or
all of the five senses. I chose to use my own personal reaction to my favorite
season, autumn, for this part of the assignment. This assignment wasn’t
supposed to be very long, so these are brief.
Grade
Received: A, with a lot of
positive comments from my professors and classmates about my extended metaphor
Symbol
The
river bubbled and gurgled and flowed ceaselessly onward to destinations
unknown, much like Annalisa’s future. She was free now, like the river. She
could plot her own course from here on out, and no one could stop her. No one.
Metaphor
The
autumn rain was heavenly. The gently silken caress of the droplets on her
exposed skin, the sweet, soft smell of the damp earth mixed with the cacophony of
colored leaves on the ground, the crisp, sharp chill in the air—all of it
filled her with such wonder and peace. It was October in Michigan, which meant
that the current weather conditions would be fleeting, so she decided to enjoy
it as best she could. She took a deep breath of the fresh, soothing air and
allowed it to placate her body. She had never felt so alive.
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