Discussion Topic
Figurative Language and Imagery in "The Sniper"
Summary:
In "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty, vivid imagery and figurative language enhance the depiction of warfare. Imagery is used to evoke the senses, such as sight with "twilight faded into night," sound with "a shot rang out," and touch with the sniper's pain. Personification occurs when guns "roar" and bullets "flatten" against a parapet. Figurative language includes similes like comparing gunfire to "dogs barking" and metaphors such as an armored car as a "gray monster," emphasizing the wartime setting.
What are some examples of imagery in "The Sniper"?
The short story "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty takes place during a civil war in Dublin, Ireland. A Republican sniper, a young man, lies on a rooftop with a rifle, a pistol, and a pair of binoculars. On the opposite rooftop is an enemy rifleman who attempts to shoot him whenever he raises his head. After the sniper shoots two people in the road, he is shot in the arm. The sniper devises a plan to lure his opponent across the street to reveal himself, and when he does, he manages to kill him so that he falls off the roof. When the sniper goes into the street to identify his enemy, he realizes that it is his brother.
Imagery in literature refers to the language used to represent the physical senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. O'Flaherty uses imagery throughout "The Sniper" to enhance its
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in literature refers to the language used to represent the physical senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. O'Flaherty uses imagery throughout "The Sniper" to enhance itsrealism. If you read through the story carefully you will find numerous examples of imagery.
In the first paragraph, visual imagery is used to help readers envision where the action is taking place. The opening sentences place readers into the scene with visual clues.
The long June twilight faded into night. Dublin lay enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon that shone through fleecy clouds, casting a pale light as of approaching dawn over the streets and the dark waters of the Liffey.
In these two sentences there are numerous words and phrases that evoke visual imagery. These include "twilight faded into night," "enveloped in darkness," "dim light of the moon," "shone through fleecy clouds," "pale light," "approaching dawn," and "dark waters."
Imagery of taste is evoked as O'Flaherty describes the hungry sniper eating his sandwich, drinking whiskey, and lighting a cigarette despite the danger.
Imagery of sound occurs when the sniper is hit with a bullet by the rifleman across the street. The author describes that "a shot rang out." The sniper drops his weapon and "the rifle clattered to the roof."
The author uses imagery of touch when describing the sensations the sniper experiences after receiving the wound. At first his arm is numb, "as if the arm had been cut off," but then he feels great pain so that he has to grind his teeth, and even greater pain when he pours iodine upon the wound.
A careful reading will reveal many other examples of imagery in this story. We see, then, that the short story "The Sniper" is full of sensory imagery that increases its effectiveness.
What are two examples of personification in "The Sniper"?
Personification is the practice of assigning human traits to inanimate objects. Often, it involves objects that are described as behaving in a manner similar to humans. There are several instances of personification in the short story, “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty. Set during the Irish civil war, O’Flaherty describes the conflict between the soldiers who fought on the side of the Republic and those who designated themselves in favor of a Free State. As the sniper awaits the next opportunity to fire upon the enemy, the author describes the scene around the building:
“Around the beleaguered Four Courts the heavy guns roared.”
The “Four Courts” are described as beleaguered, suggesting that they are worn down, stressed and tired. These characteristics are typically descriptive of humans. Likewise, in this statement, the guns are said to “roar” as if they could wail or yell in opposition to the enemy gunfire.
Other instances of personification include a description of a bullet desperately clinging to a parapet, the motor of a vehicle “panting,” or breathing heavily, a cloud of fear “scatter(ing)” away, and a machine gun that viciously tears the ground:
“Almost immediately, a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof.”
“The sniper could hear the dull panting of the motor.”
“The cloud of fear scattered from his mind and he laughed.”
“A machine gun tore up the ground around him with a hail of bullets, but he escaped.”
What are some examples of figurative language in "The Sniper"?
One example of figurative language in "The Sniper" is the line "machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms." This is an example of simile because it uses a comparison based on the word "like." It is also an example of imagery because the description of dogs alone on large, empty pieces of land gives a more nuanced understanding of the ways that the guns were firing by making a comparison to an imagined scene.
Another example of figurative language in "The Sniper" is found in the quote "His bullets would never pierce the steel that covered the gray monster." Here, the gray monster is an armored car. This line represents metaphor because the car is described as a gray monster (rather than being compared to one). This line illustrates to the reader the negative connotations that the sniper has with the vehicle, which is driven by his enemies.
What are two examples of figurative language reflecting the wartime setting in "The Sniper"?
Figurative language occurs when a writer uses figures of speech of various kinds to make his or her writing more effective, impactful, and/or persuasive. Some common examples of figurative language are metaphors, similes, personification, and hyperbole.
In Liam O'Faherty's "The Sniper," there is a great usage of personification in the opening paragraph that helps readers visualize the wartime setting.
Around the beleaguered Four Courts the heavy guns roared.
This sentence lets readers know that the guns are both active and quite loud. They are not sitting silently, nor do they crack or pop. They roar like a lion or an angry person. The sentence that follows continues the figurative language that helps set the wartime stage for this great short story.
Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms.
Notice the simile that occurs late in the sentence that compares the machine gun and rifle noises to that of barking farm dogs.