Feel the Power of Words

Maya Angelou, a gifted storyteller, and poet, masterfully uses figurative language in her narratives. This example comes from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

“I was thirteen and left Arkansas for good, the Store was my favorite place to be. Alone and empty in the morning it looked like an unopened present from a stranger. Opening the front doors was pulling the ribbon off the unexpected gift. The light would come in softly (we faced north), easing itself over the shelves of mackerel, salmon, tobacco, thread. It fell flat on the big vat of lard and by noontime during the summer the grease had softened to a thick soup. Whenever I walked into the Store in the afternoon, I sensed that it was tired. I alone could hear the slow pulse of its job half done. But just before bedtime, after numerous people had walked in and out, had argued over their bills, or joked about neighbors, or just dropped in “to give Sister Henderson a ‘Hi y’all,’” the promise of magic mornings returned to the Store and spread itself over the family in washed life waves. “ — Excerpt from page 16

Thirty years ago when I first read this paragraph, Maya’s feeling of entering her grandmother’s store warmed my heart. I experienced her memory. Over the years I have revisited her words to relive a moment in time, to remind myself of the power of words.

Since then, I have experimented with my ability to develop from a good writer and grow into a great writer. Never dreaming of possessing the power of words demonstrated by Maya Angelou, I exercise my brain with figurative language calisthenics regularly.

When I think of Mom’s cookies waiting to greet me when I came home from school, a memory as warm as the freshly baked delicacies washes over me. Repeated attempts to share with others left me unsatisfied until I began experimenting with figurative language. Then the impression became clearer.

“The aroma of the chocolate chip cookies beckoned to me with the promise of a passionate kiss pushing me to walk quicker to the kitchen. Desire was the devil on my shoulder guiding me to the gold bars of sweetness, tempting me to pilfer the treasure. Juxtaposed by my conscious thoughts that reminded of a goal to fit into my new jeans before date night, I felt like a rope in a game of tug-a-war. The first delicious bite silenced the growl of my stomach as a hushed, “Ahha.” slipped through my lips.”

With deliberate practice, my skills strengthened. Initially, I consciously identified a literary device and wrote several possibilities. Sometimes, a phrase made it into a narrative, and others it found the recycle bin. Below are the definitions that guided my practice along with some attempts.

Figurative Language

Words that are not of the normal order, construction, or meaning. They gain strength and freshness in expression.

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds at the beginning of words.

• “. . . the cookies beckoned to me with the promise of a passionate kiss pushing me to walk quicker to the kitchen.”
• “Desire, like the devil, dared me to devour the sweets.”

Metaphor

A comparison of two, unlike things without using like or as.

• “Desire was the devil on my shoulder.”
• Later in the paragraph eating the cookies is compared to pilfering a treasure.

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as.

• “I felt like a rope in a game of tug-a-war.”

Onomatopoeia

The use of words to imitate sounds: bang, swish, growl, eek.

• “The first delicious bite silenced the growl of my stomach as a hushed, ‘Ahha,’ slipped through my lips.”

Personification

The portrayal of a non-human object with human characteristics. Personification is used when the aroma is provided the ability to beckon and again when desire tempts.

• “The aroma of the chocolate chip cookies beckoned to me with the promise of a passionate kiss pushing me to walk quicker to the kitchen.”
• “Desire . . . tempting me to pilfer the treasure.”

Writers who use figurative language in writing recreate moments for readers, complete with images and sounds. The use of words on the page spark pictures and create videos in the minds of the readers.

Writing calisthenics

Memories warm writers to the idea of writing and our fingers burn with energy knowing we possess the power of words. Ideas compete for space in the brain and too often until the light from the computer screen freezes creativity. Ideas quickly disappear for a writer when the tides swell and recede stealing inspiration.

This exercise builds mind muscles. By closing my eyes, I envision a picture of a favorite place: the colors, temperature, sounds, and smells. When I am truly fortunate, I am able to taste a hint of a favorite dessert or the salty air on a humid day. However, trying to find the words to share such an experience often remain out of reach.

We do not think in complete sentences, so don’t try to record complete thoughts; ideas come in snippets. Experience teaches me to grasp ideas and record them quickly. A simple prewriting strategy helps to create concrete images. Once the ideas are captured, the writing can begin.

Below is an example of a prewrite I completed during an attempt to describe a walk along the beach. My first draft sounded cliché and repetitive. This strategy proved successful.

Looks like

• Waves of foam
• Wet sand smooth as a mirror reflects the colors of the sky
• Water carves the beach creating streams that fade as quickly as they appeared
• Seagulls seem suspended, then they hoover and glide, but the position of their wings eventually reveals effort must be expended for forward movement
• Levels of the water — ripples across the top, currents swirling, calm in the midst of breaks, breaking waves rip and split each other upon contact
• Clouds feather the horizon
• Hues of fading sun as it is swallowed in the distance

Feels like

• An embrace
• Loneliness in a crowded room
• The end of a search
• A reward for patience
• A ghost penetrating my soul and consuming my mind

Sounds like

• An invitation by a best friend long gone
• Silence in a noisy room
• The birds sound an alarm alerting me to what I can not see
• The sounds of crashing waves contrast the smooth push and pull of the water across the sand
• Smells like
• Salty perspiration after a day of hard work
• An air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror
• Stagnate pools

Tastes like

• The last bite of clam chowder with a bit of sand deposited at the bottom from the shell
• Heavy English cream
• A splash of wine after a bad date

From where it came

• Recreates itself
• Living body of water regenerating with each dew drop and every thunderstorm
• Accumulation of all life on Earth
• Born from God’s tears at man’s injustices

Age of object

• Every wave carries new life
• A body as old as the stars
• Newly born with each rotation of the moon and pull of the tide

Why I like it

• Unpredictable
• Offers an escape
• Controls its own outcome
• Reminds me that life is ever-changing

From these snippets, the words gathered and grew to describe my experience at the ocean. What started as a task became a pleasurable word game. Upon reading my final narrative, a sense of accomplishment filled me. I redirected the flames that filled my brain with smokey images and ignited a passion. However, that description is a different story.

If you have a favorite line or paragraph that uses figurative language, please share it in the comments. By sharing you are giving a gift to others who cherish the power of words.