Television by Roald Dahl: Figures of Speech, Literary Style, Literary Devices
Television by Roald Dahl :-
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Figures of speech(Literary Devices)
Dahl has employed several figures of speech throughout the poem to put his views across strongly.
Repetition
Highly striking is the use of repetition, where words or phrases are intentionally repeated for emphasis and flow. For instance, the repetition of the word "never" in these lines underscores that the poet is strongly against children watching television.
is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set
Similarly, in these lines, the repetition of the verb 'read' emphasises how much children used to read.
THEY... USED... TO...READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
TO READ some more.
Hyperbole
The poet has also used hyperbole or exaggeration, which adds to the humour of the poem. For example, here the poet has exaggerated what staring continuously at the television screen does to children. (Last week in someone's place we saw A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
Personification
Dahl uses personification in this line where he gives human qualities to inanimate objects. He gives television the ability to kill, and imagination the ability to die.
It kills imagination dead
Simile
The poem also has similes, that is direct comparisons. For example
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
Tautology
These lines use tautology where words/phrases with similar meanings are repeated.
They loll and slop and lounge about, That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Literary Style
Continuous poem with no stanzas
Television is a continuous poem with no stanzas.
Rhyming couplets
It is written in a series of rhyming couplets.
The most important thing we've learned,a
So far as children are concerned, a
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let b
Them near your television set b
Or better still, just don't install c
The idiotic thing at all c
There are only two places in the poem where Dahl diverges from the couplet rhyme scheme.
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK - HE ONLY SEES!
Fear not, because we promise you That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
Didactic poem
Television is a didactic poem conveying a strong message to readers. However, its tone is very humorous. Hence, it does not sound preachy.
Use of all capital letters
The typography of the poem, particularly its use of all capital letters, adds to the humour and exaggeration in the poem.
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD! IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK HE ONLY SEES!
1. Question and Answers RTCs: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/television-by-roald-dahl-question-and.html
2. Context and Summary: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/television-by-roald-dahl-context-and.html
3. Themes, Setting, Form and Structure: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/television-key-themes-roald-dahl.html
4. Literary Devices and Literary Style (Figures of Speech): http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/television-by-roald-dahl-figures-of.html
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