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Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Ovid’s use of poetic devices enhances the telling of this story. I chose to analyze Ovid’s use of alliterations, anaphoras and similes. Ovid uses poetic devices to help intensify certain sections of the story. The frequency of poetic devices increases in the climax of the story, when Venus discovers and mourns over her dead lover. The artistry in the poetic devices helps create a more vivid and intriguing story.
An alliteration is the deliberate repetition of a sound, most commonly the initial letter. In line 706, the letter ‘p’ is repeated in “pugnae pectora praebet.” Venus is warning Adonis about the dangers of hunting, and the successive ‘p’ sound emphasizes her strong message. In line 723, Ovid repeats the letter ‘p’ in “percussit pectora palmis.” Venus is beating her chest with her palms, and the repteated ‘p’ sound mimics the sound of her actions.
Ovid’s use of anaphora in line 722 helps emphasize the drama of Venus’s actions. The repetition of the words “pariterque…pariterque” draws the reader’s attention to Venus’s actions of grief. Venus has just seen Adonis’s bloody body, and she responds by tearing at both her toga and her hair equally.
Lastly, in line 735, Ovid uses a simile to describe the appearance of a flower. The flower, known as the anemone, was created in remembrance of Adonis. Ovid desribes the flower as being the “same color as blood.” Ovid does not reveal what the name of the flower is called yet, but the reader can picture an image of a bright, red flower. The simile juxtaposes beginnings to mortality, as the flower is a new, young organism and its color is compared to the blood of a dead man.
An alliteration is the deliberate repetition of a sound, most commonly the initial letter. In line 706, the letter ‘p’ is repeated in “pugnae pectora praebet.” Venus is warning Adonis about the dangers of hunting, and the successive ‘p’ sound emphasizes her strong message. In line 723, Ovid repeats the letter ‘p’ in “percussit pectora palmis.” Venus is beating her chest with her palms, and the repteated ‘p’ sound mimics the sound of her actions.
Ovid’s use of anaphora in line 722 helps emphasize the drama of Venus’s actions. The repetition of the words “pariterque…pariterque” draws the reader’s attention to Venus’s actions of grief. Venus has just seen Adonis’s bloody body, and she responds by tearing at both her toga and her hair equally.
Lastly, in line 735, Ovid uses a simile to describe the appearance of a flower. The flower, known as the anemone, was created in remembrance of Adonis. Ovid desribes the flower as being the “same color as blood.” Ovid does not reveal what the name of the flower is called yet, but the reader can picture an image of a bright, red flower. The simile juxtaposes beginnings to mortality, as the flower is a new, young organism and its color is compared to the blood of a dead man.