Down with Literary Devices

As much as I loathe Pre-AP, it does spark some interesting creative pieces.

 Down with Literary Devices           

 

I hate my Pre-AP English class. In fact, I hate the AP English test. No really. When it comes around to 5^th period, and I know I’ll soon by analyzing things with such detail that we’ll start finding hidden messages if you take out every third vowel and read it backwards, it’s almost enough to make me curl up on the ground and absolutely refuse to go up the stairs. When 5^th period comes around, I know I’ll be made to reduce the emotion-filled poems of genius writers into nothing but labels most cleverly called “literary devices”. Literary devices? This isn’t orthodontics people, this is writing!

I have come to despise hi-lighters. With every neon-yellow encrusted word I can hear another great American author rolling in their grave. For goodness sake let anything I write stay far and away from the Great and Almighty List of Classics. The Classics are said to be some of the Greatest Works of All Time, the stepping stones of literature, ageless tales that engage readers everywhere. If these are the originals, we have most definitely improved upon the previous selection.

I have written enough Analytical Essays to last me for the rest of my life. The rules of AP Writing leave no room for interpretation. It seems to me, that I could probably just take the same essay every time, and plug in new titles and “literary devices”. What are we doing to writing? With every new meaning we identify, what other meaning are we taking away? Did the authors of these over-analyzed poems ever intend for them to be hi-lighted in the first place? Or were we meant to just…read. Let them roll around our tongues, and taste every word, and then swallow, and let it take its own route to our soul.

Have you ever noticed that some of the best writers and thinkers of the modern world were absolutely terrible students? I bet you they didn’t take Pre-AP English. And so neither am I.

 

Reviews

[Peteypie]

That was amazing. brovo. Its so true that english class isnt what it should be. Instead of crossing T's and dotting I's we should learn to make something beautiful in black and white and NOT neon

[PureSyn]

I am so glad I came upon this piece. I agree with your sentiments, and most impressed with how you unleashed your frustration. Excellent!