Write About the Significance of Descriptive Language as It Is Used by Each of the Three Writers You Have Studied?

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I am going to write about Alfred Tennyson, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Small Island written by Andrea Levy. Descriptive language is words used to describe elements of literature, and is a an important aspect of each of the texts I studied. It is used to shape meaning, create interpretations and to build up a vivid imagery in the readers head. To begin, Alfred Tennyson uses descriptive archaic language throughout majority of his poems. Specifically the "The Lotus-eaters and Choric song" utilises descriptive language to it's full potential to help reveal location and consequently reflect character. Vivid language such as "three silent pinnacles of aged snow" helps create the intense image of the land of the Lotus -eater and consequently the state of mind of the sailors. Tennyson also uses alliteration and assonance within his descriptive language such as Subsequently, Austen uses descriptive language rather differently. Her use of detail is precise, compact and sharp. Her language is also archaic, suited to the context and time. Pride and Prejudice is full of details that sum up the whole situation or of a character, in very few words. Austen's sharpness of observation and precision takes the form of brief and short statements rather than long winded description. Her extended and accurate selection of vocabulary are able to really exhilarate and dig deep into meaning with just a few words such as, "in as short time as Mr Collin's long speeches would allow, everything was settled". Austen uses few metaphors and imagery and description of the settings is rare. There are very few concrete nouns, but a larger proportion of abstract nouns, for example, "astonishment" and "pride". There is little metaphor, and the use of one type of descriptive language in particular, which relates to prose writers in the late 18th century like Dr Johnson, they both create

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