Some examples are:
- "She pulled bright images from her life like peaches from a fragrant orchard" (171).
- "Sex, the old leveler and destroyer, spreading its wicked, glorious seeds even into the houses of culture and privilege" (294).
- "I could feel the breath of God running like light through my bloodstream" (333).
- "The veins in his arm protruded like the roots of great trees along eroded banks" (487).
I am totally jealous of Conroy for this skill. I try to write literary language. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It always starts out well: "she threw the ball like," I'll write. But that like is where I get hung up, the thing I can't get past. If I could take Conroy's skill at making this work and put it in my shopping cart, I'd ask for two and wouldn't even use a coupon.
Writing literary language is a skill, a carefully honed artform. I know it takes practice and time, and I'm giving it both. I also read and search out other people's use of words. Even if it's not as simple as pulling Conroy's talent right off a shelf, I do think seeing what he does allows me to grow in my own writing of these unique images.
Danielle - I so agree. Conroy's ability to write is lyrical and beautiful. I too wish I had that ability.
ReplyDeleteI was blown away by Conroy's use of language too. What stopped my eyes in their tracks were the gorgeous descriptions of South Carolina and Melrose Island. The descriptions were so good that I not only saw them, I could smell them. I could smell the salt in the air next to the waterside. I could hear the gulls in the distance, and I could feel the humidity clinging to my skin. Every description was so vivid that it was not difficult for me to be completely emerged in the landscape.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Danielle. I love figurative language, and it's so hard to come up with original combinations that work. I sometimes wonder how much is innate and how much can be learned. In some ways, I think writing lyrically is Conroy's style and maybe my style will never be lyrical. I'd like to go back and read some of his earlier works and see how he progresses as a writer. With The Prince of Tides, I would just stop reading sometimes to reread one of his lines and savor the words and images. He is a truly beautiful writer, and you pulled out a few of his gems.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting and well-written post, Danielle. In order to receive credit, however, you will need to title it with the number of the blog assignment and your name. The personal title can appear after that.
ReplyDelete