Well, we’ve just finished our ‘Middle Ages’ portion of our British Literature class so I figured I’d use this natural break as an opportunity to communicate some things I’ve been learning about writing from these literary classics from across the pond.
We first read the poem ‘The Dream of the Rood’ whose author is unknown. This piece of literature is essentially about a dream that the narrator has where the cross that Jesus died on is personified. I know it sounds quite nerdy but I love personification. Its not only a writing tool for poets though; using it subtly in other areas of creative writing can give novels, short stories, etc an artistic edge. But I’ve gotten off track. Something that stood out to me while reading ‘The Dream of the Rood’ was the perfect use of detail. The author doesn’t shy away from painting a picture in the reader’s mind, nor does he (or, but less likely, she) crowd out the goings-on with an overload of images:
“There they took up almighty God, lifted him from that cruel torment. They the warriors left me there standing, blood all over me, pierced everywhere with arrows. They laid him there, limb-wearied; they stood at the head of his lifeless body.”
I’ve learned in my writing classes that it is quite possible (and at times most natural) to use TOO many adjectives when describing things in our writing. This portion, as well as the entirety of the text, I think shows a good balance. Enough that we can imagine the scene but not so much that we become overwhelmed and tired of reading. I know I definitely need to add ‘edit out unnecessary adjectives’ to my list of things to do during the revision process.
We also read ‘Beowulf’ and ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.’ These epic poems made use of another great literary tool. Alliteration. Something I’ve observed with alliteration in the writing of stories is that it’s ok when used in moderation. Like personification it’s mostly used in a poetic setting. Unlike personification it is a little subtler and its fine if it goes unnoticed by the reader. This is because alliteration is all about how something sounds. So the reader may think, “I like the sound of that,” not knowing why and that’s ok. If alliteration is used too often the reader might be distracted by its presence. Usually in my own writing alliteration is only present if it is accidental. But if I’m ever contemplating word choice I try to take alliteration into account.
Most recently we read Chaucer’s ‘General Prologue’ and ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ from his Canterbury Tales. Reading the Middle English proved to be a process. I think it is for that very reason that less of the technical aspects of writing stood out to me. Instead I took note of the content. Geoffrey Chaucer does an excellent job of addressing the issues of his time in a straightforward and realistic manner. Even though the characters are almost comically stereotypical the issues they address are (were?) culturally significant. Most writers (yes, sadly only most and not all) have a desire to write pieces of literature that are not only beautifully artistic but also socially significant. I am no exception. I long to tactfully address realistic issues that offer my readers some degree of relatability (I’m quite shocked that ‘relatability’ is not a word!) and communicate significant aspects of human life. Unfortunately this is one side of writing that I don’t think I can just add to a writing to-do list. Perhaps this is something that needs to be done at the beginning of the writing process. Before I even start I should ask myself, “What will this say about mankind? How do I want it to affect my readers? In what ways will it change their view of themselves and those around them?”
“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” - Gustave Flaubert
Think about it,
Jessica
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