Analysis essay
In the passages by N.S. Momaday and D. Brown both authors describe a landscape of "the Plains" using imagery, diction, and tone. Each author's tone differs from the other and their use of stylistic devices; Momaday uses an admiring tone to describe tone to describe the land of his people and Brown has a matter-of-fact tone about the remains of the land.
The imagery used by Momaday displays his admiration for the land while imagery used by Brown illustrates the devastation of the land. Momaday describes that in summer "there are green belts along the rivers and creeks, linear groves of hickory and pecan, willow and witch hazel"(Momaday). This shows that Momaday is admiring the land that his ancestor came from and is showing the beauty of nature. In contrast Brown writes, of the same land, that in one summer "the sun baked the dry earth drier, the streams stopped running, great whirlwinds of grasshoppers were flung out of the metallic sky to consume the parched grass"(Brown). Brown shows how the land has been dried out and gives the facts of how it looks. The streams that once had "green belts along" them now have "stopped running".
Momaday uses diction to enhance the imagery of the land he is admiring; Brown uses diction of bad connotations to describe the harshness of the land. Momaday enhances the imagery of the grasshoppers and earth with colors to show the beauty and the playfulness of the natural world. Nature is all around him like the "great green and yellow grasshoppers [that] are everywhere in the tall grass,(...) and [the] tortoises crawl about the red earth, going nowhere in the plenty of time"(Momaday). This shows the slowness and calmness versus the fast past part of nature; Momaday continues to admire it. Brown uses harsher diction to convey the harshness that has come to the land. He decribes that the sky is "metallic" and the grass is "parched" and of the "endless desolation of bones and skulls and rotting hooves"(Brown). Brown's choice of words with harsh connotations show the devastation of the nature of "the Plains" and to add a sense of gloom to the imagery of the text. Brown's purpose by this is to show how the land of "Momaday's people has "turned bad".
The proudness that Momaday has for his land and nature is masked by the facts that Brown displays in his passage. The two authors write about "the Plains" using imagery, diction, and tone but their tone serve a different purpose. Momaday's uses an admiring tone of "the Plains" and Brown uses a matter-of-fact tone of the devastation of "the Plains".
The imagery used by Momaday displays his admiration for the land while imagery used by Brown illustrates the devastation of the land. Momaday describes that in summer "there are green belts along the rivers and creeks, linear groves of hickory and pecan, willow and witch hazel"(Momaday). This shows that Momaday is admiring the land that his ancestor came from and is showing the beauty of nature. In contrast Brown writes, of the same land, that in one summer "the sun baked the dry earth drier, the streams stopped running, great whirlwinds of grasshoppers were flung out of the metallic sky to consume the parched grass"(Brown). Brown shows how the land has been dried out and gives the facts of how it looks. The streams that once had "green belts along" them now have "stopped running".
Momaday uses diction to enhance the imagery of the land he is admiring; Brown uses diction of bad connotations to describe the harshness of the land. Momaday enhances the imagery of the grasshoppers and earth with colors to show the beauty and the playfulness of the natural world. Nature is all around him like the "great green and yellow grasshoppers [that] are everywhere in the tall grass,(...) and [the] tortoises crawl about the red earth, going nowhere in the plenty of time"(Momaday). This shows the slowness and calmness versus the fast past part of nature; Momaday continues to admire it. Brown uses harsher diction to convey the harshness that has come to the land. He decribes that the sky is "metallic" and the grass is "parched" and of the "endless desolation of bones and skulls and rotting hooves"(Brown). Brown's choice of words with harsh connotations show the devastation of the nature of "the Plains" and to add a sense of gloom to the imagery of the text. Brown's purpose by this is to show how the land of "Momaday's people has "turned bad".
The proudness that Momaday has for his land and nature is masked by the facts that Brown displays in his passage. The two authors write about "the Plains" using imagery, diction, and tone but their tone serve a different purpose. Momaday's uses an admiring tone of "the Plains" and Brown uses a matter-of-fact tone of the devastation of "the Plains".