Looking at the McCarthy sample from Blood Meridian, we can describe his language a lot of
different ways. Below are a few possibilities.
Notice that all of the following are merely descriptive; they only observe or describe his style and don't try to draw any inferences about what literary effects his style causes. For that reason, I like to refer to this kind of claim as a "left side" claim:
McCarthy’s language in this passage is both elegant and
sensuous.
McCarthy writes with a sensuous elegance.
McCarthy’s prose is heavy with portentous imagery and an
ornate, almost archaic diction.
McCarthy’s style has a rustic, atmospheric elegance to it.
McCarthy’s diction is as vast and wild as it is darkly
ornate.
This passage from Blood
Meridian revels in a dark and antiquated sensuous elegance.
McCarthy is dark, antiquated, sensually elegant.
Develop your own left side claims for the two remaining prose excerpts from our original samples and post them both to the online "sandbox" I put together here: No White Flarf. To help think of useful adjectives, consider referring to the "Words that Describe" handout on our Notes page.
After you have posted your claims, I'd like you to browse our class blogs to see what themes people have chosen for their anthologies, and I would like you to suggest, in comments, at least three possible artifacts to them.
not sure where to post this:
ReplyDeleteLynda Barry's "Cruddy" shows a profound use of repetition with a harsh since of truth and understanding.
Annie Pnoulx's "The Mud Below" startles the ear with its sudden difference in diction and a somewhat emotional matrix of words.