A recent magazine described an authors' opinion about the crucial need for feelings to be expressed by written letters. In a light-hearted and buoyant manner, the writer utilizes colourful language to enhance her opinion. Furthermore, similies and negative connotations are exploited in order to juxtaposition the two forms of communication (e-mails and hand-written letters). To add credibility the author also employs numorous allusions from several stakeholders.
Colourful language is evident in this article. In referrence to a fictctious anecdote, the author explains "you notice her opening a thick, red envelope that sprinkles fragrent rose petals as she releases a handwritten letter." The words thick, red, sprinkles and fragrent heightens the description as it sounds appealing and enticing. These desciptive words are deviced to support the authors viewpoint that hand written letters are fundamentally more meaningful and heart felt. Though adding colourful language, she aims captivate the reades and evoke a feeling of warmth when refernig to written letters.
Futhermore the author employs similies in the article to magnify her viewpoint. She explains 'A hand written note is like dining by candlelight instead of flicking on the lights.' This is aimed to romantisise her argument as dining but candlelight is far more passionate then dining with full lighting. In addition she exclaims that written letters 'can be like fertiliser to a friendship'. Though saying this she stirves to express how they are not only romantic as they can help nourish and strengthen any relationship. These simlilies are designed to enduce readers with the same outlook as the author as she has reffered the handwritten letters to positive objects such as candlelight and fertiliser.
Similarly, negative connotations are utilized to juxatapostion the two forms of communicaton. The paragraph previously, the author had just descirbed the candlelit dinner. As she begins the subsequent paragraph she explains 'Unless your illiterate or have a heart of stone, theres nothing quite like receiving a letter in the mail.' The word illiterate in this context, conjures up thoughts of disability, incapability and inadequecy. Through reffering this to someone who just can't be 'bothered' to write a letter is caustic. Futhermore the phrase 'heart of stone' also conjures up an image of a cold-hearted, inconsiderate and lazy person. The intended effect is that readers will automatically agree that e-mails are for the 'illiteate' and those who have 'hearts of stone'
In addition the author employs various allusions in her argument. The several stakeholders include calligrapher, Margaret Shepherd, strategist, Ian Hutchinson and director of Australian psychological society, Bob Mongomery. Through refrring to these individuals the author aims to derive an expert opinion on the matter and add credibility to her argument. This is a subtle device in which enables readers to agree with the authors viewpoint as it has been supported by experts.
The author intented to express the importane for feelings to be shared through written letters instead of e-mails. She aimed to show this importance by use of colourful language, similies, negative connotations and allusions. Her argument is quite likely to pursade her readers due to these devises.
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3 comments:
Whitney this is great writing!!! I cant find anything to critique :)
Yay for Whitney!
i only read the intro, but in that you gotta include the writers contention and whole purpose for writing, not just their techniques.
why have they used the techniques..you know :)
I'd say the same as kelsie for the intro, i just had a quick skim through the rest of it and i reckon you've used the Dipp sructure really well and you've used some good vocab in there also :)
Keep up the good work :) Caroline
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