Cacophony
In general, cacophony is a mixture of inharmonious, harsh and harsh sounds. As a literary device, cacophony refers to the deliberate use of non-tuneful, harsh, discordant sounds in a line or sentence. Cacophony is the opposite of euphony. Euphony is the use of melodic, pleasant sounds in a line or sentence. What does cacophony mean?
Cacophony is mainly created using plosive consonants like r, b, d, t, g, k and hiss sounds like s, sh and ch. For example, look at the sentence “ Destroyers slammed into jagged stones and scratched the sand with brutal blows, striking the beach.” Using b, p, j, c creates a discordant effect in this sentence. The authors also use onomatopoeia to reflect unpleasant sounds created by an unpleasant source. For example, Robert Frost uses the phrase Saw Saw buzzed and thundered in the yard. in his poem “Out Out”. These non-melodic words are used to describe a saw that acts as a source of destruction. What does cacophony mean?
Cacophony is often used as a device for describing an inconsistent or conflicting situation using inappropriate sounds. Reusing such non-melodic sounds allows readers to imagine the unpleasantness of the situation. Although cacophony is commonly used by poets, it is not a rare tool for both writers and playwrights. The examples below will help you better understand the function of this literary device. What does cacophony mean?
Examples
“And not being familiar with the art of war, I gave him a description of guns, culverins, muskets, carbines, pistols, bullets, gunpowder, swords, bayonets, battles, sieges, retreats, attacks, explosions, mine mines, bombing, sea-fights. .. “
This description from Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift describes the brutality and outrage of war. Swift deliberately created non-melodic and rattling sounds, using consonants such as p, b and c to emphasize the horrors of war.
“He was a thin, dead, almost graceful young man of about twenty. He lay with one leg bent under him, with a jaw in his throat, his face was neither expressive nor expressionless. One eye was closed. The other was in the shape of a star. What does cacophony mean?
This passage is found in the short story “The Man I Killed” from The Thing They Carried. Tim O’Brien also describes the horrors of war. In this particular example, the narrator gives a short description of a dead person. He uses many harsh words and phrases such as “bent under the leg”, “jaw in the throat”, “star-shaped hole”. These words also create a shocking and terrifying image in the minds of readers.
As Twas Brillig, and slippery toves
Did the cycle and wallow in the wab;
All mims were borogo
And this moment is annoying.
This nonsensical poem, found in Lewis Carroll’s novel Through the Mirror and What Alice Found There, is composed of a mixture of harsh, non-melodic words. Alice, the protagonist, upon hearing this poem, says that this poem fills her head with tangled ideas. Thus, it is misleading and confusing.
Hear the loud bells of Alarum –
Copper bells! What a horror story, now, their turbulence tells!
In the frightened ear of the night
How they cry about their right!
Too scared to speak,
They can only scream, scream,
Upset, “
The above example from Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem “Bells” mimics the sound of bells. The poet uses harsh, contradictory sounds to create the effect of alarm bells, the sound of which usually scares people. What does cacophony mean?
“Away, damn it! Come out, I say! – One two. Why then is it time to do it? Hell is muddy! – Ugh, my lord, ugh! Soldier, am I afraid? Why should we be afraid, who knows, when no one can call our government to account?
Lady Macbeth speaks of the above dialogue in Shakespeare’s famous play Macbeth. Lady Macbeth slowly descends into madness in this part of the play. Therefore, Shakespeare uses cacophony to ward off Lady Macbeth’s severe mental illness. What does cacophony mean?
