Metonymy, or The Husband's Revenge
Metonymy, or the Husband's Revenge Rachel de Queiroz Metonymy. I learned the word in 1930 and shall never forget it. I had just published my first novel. A literary critic had scolded me because my hero went out into the night “chest unbuttoned.” “What deplorable nonsense!” wrote this eminently sensible gentleman. “Why does she not say what she means? Obviously, it was his shirt that was unbuttoned, not his chest.” I accepted his rebuke with humility, indeed with shame. But my illustrious Latin professor, Dr. Matos Peixoto came to my rescue. He said that what I had written was perfectly correct; that I had used a respectable figure of speech known as metonymy; and that this figure consisted in the use of one word for another word associated with it—for example, a word representing a cause instead of the effect, or representing the container when the content is intended. The classic instance, he told me, is “the sparkling cup”; in reality, not the cup but the wine in it is sparkli...
In "To Be of Use," Marge Piercy praises hard working people. Piercy uses numerous figurative devices, primarily including animals, to describe traits of a hard working individual. The tone is static throughout and the theme is blatant and unchanging: Piercy prefers those who are determined and persevering. Additionally, she makes it a point that she is praising those who work hard and do work that is not pointless or common. This poem is a good example of what to strive for in work ethic.
ReplyDeleteI think the message of the poem is to explain that hardworking people are favored by the author, and the level of genuine work people used to put into things has decreased overtime. Piercy utilizes similes to help exaggerate this message. People that "pull like water buffalo" or "harness themselves" like "an ox to a heavy cart" know the true meaning of work, and the author appreciates these people as there are so few left in the world. Centuries ago, every handmade item was created with a purpose; however, they are "put in museums" without a second glance. This example provides excellent proof of how times have changed.
ReplyDeleteThe message of the poem, to me at least, is that there is true value in the people actually doing physical work over simply just standing back and pointing. In a world of thinkers and technology, we rarely place true value in those actually getting their hands dirty. It seems to me that the poem suggests that those who toil in manual labor are the true people of virtue in our global society. While the poem itself does not follow a particular rhyme scheme, there are several poetic devices used that "spruce up" the poem. I particularly like the pastoral imagery as well as the use of metaphor, simile, and personification of inanimate objects. I myself enjoy toiling in the dirt with a task, so the poem particularly enjoyable to me.
ReplyDeleteThe main message that comes out to me is that all work, even the gritty, annoying, disgusting kind, needs to be done and those who take it on are very honorable. The people who have to "go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along" along with those doing the tasks like the water buffalo metaphor are probably annoyed by their job but it still needs to be done for all of us to advance. In today's society, those jobs are frowned upon and are treated as if they are unimportant; however, Piercy is striving to prove that they are a necessity and someone needs to do them.
ReplyDeleteThe poem talks about the value and merit in work. The author creates contrast between those who work and those who don't through metaphor. One example of this is "an ox to a heavy cart." These strong individuals can carry society to a degree and do all the heavy lifting. I enjoy the last stanza, as it highlights how work can transform the world. Work on it's own is like "mud" but when applied to something good, one can create beautiful vessels like vases or amphoras with it. Work should be used to create something that "satisfies." While beautiful, these vases are made to be put to use, not to be held in a museum. By personifying these object, it gives value and meaning to the work applied to create them.
ReplyDeleteMarge Piercy wrote this poem to represent how she wishes to surround herself to hard working people. She prefers people who persevere through difficult tasks unlike "parlor generals and field deserters." She also uses metaphors to compare the hard working people to strong animals such as oxes or water buffalo.
ReplyDeleteI think Marge Piercy's message is that people and tools are meant to do work, and those that do, are somewhat above others. Piercy holds in highest regard the people who are willing to get their hands dirty and who work from morning to night doing the toughest jobs. Piercy includes much imagery in her poem and uses it as examples. She describes the kind of work people do, such as going "into the fields to harvest/and work in a row and pass the bags along." The reader can clearly imagine the particular people she is talking about. Towards the end of her poem, she mentions the tools that people use to get their jobs done. Although tools of the past now sit in museums on display, Piercy believed that the tools were created to be used and that they want to be used; therefore they should still be used.
ReplyDeleteThrough the idealistic tone that Marge Piercy conveys throughout the poem, she praises the theme of working, a human necessity. She is trying to convince the readers to fight to strive and be more willing to dig down to do hard work. Embracing many animalistic metaphors and similes, Piercy compares the best workers to the more physical jobs typically carried out by animals, such as those who "harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart" or "pull like water buffalo" (Piercy 8-10). It is more beneficial for others to be surrounded by and work with those who are willing to take on tougher jobs and put in the work rather than the opposite for it will push them to do their best. These hard jobs, though seen by many as "common as mud" or not as important, can bring the most satisfaction when finished (20). Humans were originally animals by nature and were meant to do these heavy duty jobs; to truly be of use, humankind must do these dirty jobs even if they really do not want to.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, Piercy highlights the importance of finding a purpose in life and working hard to achieve goals. By using various metaphors, she conveys her admiration for those who stay committed when working to achieve success in their endeavors. She demonstrates the significance of the "patience" people display when they are persistence comparing it the patience of a water buffalo. Acknowledging the determination and willpower people must have "to move things forward," it is clear she believes individuals like this deserve respect.
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ReplyDeleteThe overall message of the poem is that the author, Marge Piercy, holds hard working people in high regard. She believes these are the people who keep the world working and who should be given much respect. The most predominant and obvious devices used in this poem are simile and metaphor. Piercy compares hard hardworking people to animals of "massive patience" like "ox[en]" and " water buffalo" who work tirelessly and with a constant "rhythm". These devices make understanding her argument much easier, because the reader will be able to create an image in their head with these well known field animals.
The author evidently wants the audience to know that put simply the people they most admire are those with determination, hard workers where work needs to be done. This definition does not suit how the author really feels, though, so to further clarify their point, they pull in hyperboles and vivid imagery to represent the extent of which working hard matters to them. A common phrase that Piercy uses is to be "submerged" in the task at hand. This suits their message that one should not simply work, but be consumed in their effort, to put their entire being into it. To be submerged creates a certain picture in the reader's mind, one can imagine how deeply one is committed to what needs to be done, when it is encompassing all that a person is. Piercy further clarifies that one should not lose themselves to such a task, but that they should "pull" through "the muck to move things forward."
ReplyDeleteI think the message she is trying to convey is that life is most fulfilling when you work with love and ardor. Starting of with three enjambed lines reflects the feeling the author has about work and the quality she admires in others. Having no punctuation, you flow between each line, quickly moving without pause like a person who has taken up a task they are looking forward to completing. This feeling of passion is carried throughout. She uses alliteration in multiple places (s in line 4 and m in line 10 for example), and it emphasizes the enthusiasm she feels towards working. She also uses a lot of metaphors, listing large, powerful animals like the ox and buffalo as if to assert that people who care about what they do will be stronger for it. The only way to be truly satisfied with yourself is to put effort into the things you love, and everyone has the skills to do what they are meant for. It is just a matter of doing. This point is evident through the personification of the pitcher and it's comparison to people.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem, Piercy seems to pay homage to often misrepresented blue collar jobs. The imagery used is mostly that of animals, but they are all large and stable hard workers -- creatures of force. It feels like something the everyday person can relate to and aspire for and shows that all work can be appreciated and on the same level. Her tone is static, but has a drive to it. She uses words such as "love" and expresses her desire to be around people who are willing to put in work. All in all, it feels very uplifting for lower class workers and those who may not make nearly as much as doctors, but are just as important. It shows that there is value in all work
ReplyDeleteSo Piercy likes people that can work hard and know what they're doing as they work. They compared their favorite people to animals, and all of the animals work for humans through manual labor, so it seems that this author believes only the blue collar workers fall into their category of "real" workers. Except for the seals, though. They used a simile to compare the seals to "bouncing... balls," and a bouncy ball can only bounce; therefore, maybe they also include the people who do one task for the whole day, like old-timey assembly line workers, in their category of "real" workers.
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