Byrons Brood:

The Use of Schemes and Tropes to Achieve Further Broodiness in Particularly

Broody Individuals

By: Elizabeth Gardner

AP Literature
Mrs. Peterson, Period 2

Antimetabole
Definition: Taking repetition and deliberately turning it inside out, creating a
distinct crisscross pattern.

Example: Lord

Byron

"Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure"

***
The term Byronic Hero was coined after him, so of course he fits the mold of the
Byronic Hero famously. He was characterized as being dashing, romantic,
mysterious, arrogant, cunning, cynical, intelligent, well educated, emotionally
conflicted, and resistant to the pressures of society. He was, of course, very
broody, as most poets are. He had a defiant brow, a melancholy heart, and an
insightful mind.
The quote reflects itself by balancing: pleasure, sin, sin, pleasure. The quote also
displays Lord Byrons bad boy outlook on promiscuity.

Alliosis
Definition: Presenting alternatives in a balanced manner.

Example: Satan
Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven.
***
Miltons interpretation of Satan from Paradise Lost conveys an extremely
arrogant, wrathful, and rebellious adversary of God. He broods over his hellish
torments and his unjust fall from Heaven. Shown above, he picturesquely poses
like a weary damsel in distress, completing the image of the wretched devil
agonizing over his own sin while condemning both God and man.
Whenever other characters are feeling especially broody, they often allude to
Lucifer (i.e. the creature from Frankenstein, Khan from Star Trek, Jean Valjean from
Les Miserables, etc). This is not coincidence. He is just the ultimate brooder.
His arrogance and struggle for power know no earthly bounds. He would rather
rule than be ruled. Period.

Aposiopesis
Definition: Breaking off as if unable to continue

Example: Mr.

Rochester

Good-night, my- He stopped, bit his lip, and abruptly left me.
***
Mr. Rochester, from Charlotte Bronts Jane Eyre, epitomizes the Byronic Hero
found in literature. He is dark, enigmatic, contemplative, and incredibly
intelligent. He also has a sinister secret looming over him and those who inhabit
his gothic mansion
He betrays his broodiness in his inability to allow himself to be happy with the
one woman he could truly love. He insists on condemning himself to a life of
exiled misery, where he uses cynicism and rough exterior to mask his inner
feelings of dissatisfaction.
He is grounded, reserved, and fearful of rejection, which is why he stops himself
before confessing his love to Jane Eyre. How much more broody can you get?

Anaphora
Definition: Repetition of beginning clauses.

Example: Heathcliff
I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!
***
Heathcliff, an ideal Byronic Hero found in Emily Bronts Wuthering Heights, is so
mysterious that his heritage is obscure and his broodiness is unmatched. He is
described as shady and dangerous, and lives in a large manor as a despised
recluse. He poses as an aggressive and passionate lover of Catherine, whose main
conflict derives from the battle between goodness and immorality. His sinister
nuance causes Catherines undeniable attraction and fuels the sexual tension and
pent-up frustration of these star-crossed lovers.
The repetition of the clause I cannot live without creates a theatric,
melodramatic spin on such broodiness. He is conflicted, emotionally
overwrought, and seriously in need of some chill pills.

Aporia
Definition: Talking about not being able to talk about something. It could also be
the speaker expressing doubt or perplexity.

Example: Dr.

Frankenstein

How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the

wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to perform?
***
Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, is another
perfect example of a Byronic Hero. He spends the entirety of the book running
around the Swiss countryside, brooding over his deplorable creation he foolishly
set on society. He is terribly conflicted, guilty, troubled, and many would argue
arrogant (especially in the beginning of the novel). Frankenstein is a brilliant
scientist who becomes an outcast. He willingly isolates himself from the world
and creates a murderous monster, straying from the typical hero archetype.
He finds himself so disgusted and bewildered by the hideous monster he creates,
that he cannot find the words to describe how sickened he feels or how repulsive
the creature looks.

Cacophony
Definition: Diction that is discordant and harsh sounding

Example: Edgar

Allan Poe

How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle

In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens seem to twinkle
***
Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his dreary poetry and macabre horror stories. An
alcoholic poet of indulgence, self-destruction, angst, and torment, he is right at
home among the Byrons and the Dylan Thomases. His genius lies in anguish and
lamentation that are prone to broody men. His intelligence and perception are
evident in his profound poems and elevated approaches to the blacker aspects of
the human psyche. Even his manner of death is strange and subject to
speculation. His last words (Lord, help my poor soul) expound on his gloomy
reflections about himself.
Poes use of cacophony creates dissonance. The hard t and k sounds clash. He
employed this device for deliberate dramatic effect.

Asyndeton
Definition: Using no conjunctions to create an effect of speed or simplicity.

Example: Holden

Caulfield

Girls with their legs crossed, girls with their legs not crossed, girls with terrific legs, girls
with lousy legs, girls that looked like swell, girls that looked like they'd be [not very nice
word] if you knew them... You figured most of them would probably marry dopey guys.
Guys that always talk about how many miles they get to a gallon in their [gosh-darn]
cars. Guys that get sore and childish as hell if you beat them at golf, or even just some
stupid game like ping-pong. Guys that are very mean, guys that never read books, guys
that are very boring.

***
Holden Caulfield does not meet every of the qualification of a Byronic Hero, though he
does have a tragic past, an emotional instability, a self destructive nature, and an
extremely cynical view of society.
Everyones a phony.
Holden is one of the most unique characters ever to appear in print. This bildungsroman
exemplifies Holden as the lost, overly broody adolescent on a journey to find himself.
This quote above, through its lack of conjunctions, creates a listlessness that highlights
his deep-rooted insecurity and his hasty judgment of others. Though Holden creeps me
out a bit, I still love him.

Diacope
Definition: Uninterrupted repetition of a word.

Example: Dylan

Thomas

Rage, rage against the dying light

***
Dylan Thomas. Leather jacket. Windswept hair. He has that Im really tough and
cool and stuffand I like to express my feelings through poetry. Im, like, really
deep.
This slave of drugs and alcohol certainly broods a lot. He shares a lot in common
with Lord Byron. He certainly enjoys lifes many sinful pleasures. He is (allegedly)
a lady-slayer (though the picture above leads me to doubt this) and a raging
alcoholic. His last words are somewhat of a satirical nature.
Ive had eighteen straight whiskies I think thats a record.

Thomas repeats rage twice in a row in order to emphasize the constant fight.

Polysyndeton
Definition: Using many conjunctions to achieve an overwhelming effect.

Example: Mr.

Darcy

I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the
foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had
begun.
***
Jane Austens Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice is categorizes as more of a
Romantic Hero than a Byronic Hero, but he certainly has many attributes that
allege him to be both. His arrogance, sophistication, and education are all
qualities of the Byronic. As a member of the pomp English gentry, he is not an
outlaw, ruffian, or scoundrelthough he is disliked by many for being so cold
and pretentious. While he does not have a troubled past, necessarily, he does
have a secret pertaining to Mr. Wickham, which makes him seem quite enigmatic.
He is dashing, attractive, and haughty with a discerning intelligence that appeals
to Elizabeths good sense.
Mr. Darcys overuse of conjunctions succeeds in producing an overwhelming list.
He is unsure of the precise moment his love for Elizabeth Bennet first took form.

10

Parallelism
Definition: An establishment of similar patterns of grammatical structure

Example: Dorian

Gray

I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy

them, and to dominate them.
***
Oscar Wildes Picture of Dorian Gray follows the tale of a besmirched narcissist
who views the degradation of his soul through the physical means of a
supernatural portrait. Arrogance, vanity, pride, and an encompassing sense of
rankness saturate the novel like paint on the canvas. Gray certainly is charismatic
and deceptively attractive, like the Byronic Hero. As he inflates his ego with selfpraise, he digests volumes that condemn humanity. Dorian begins to mock
outsiders and remove himself from deep personal relations with others. His secret
about the portrait further alienates him from society.
Day and night, he broods over the portrait. At first, he wishes to end this curse,
but later, he thrives on eternal youth and condemnable sin. Powers of seduction
and sexual innuendos enhance his image of a sleazy infidel. His broodiness
prevails as he battles against his deteriorating sense of morality. He is certainly
not the archetypal hero in a streaming white cloak.

11

Apostrophe
Definition: An address to someone who is absent or something devoid of human
comprehension i.e. an inanimate object.

Example: The

Count of Monte Cristo

Pain, thou art not an evil!

***
Alexander Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo explores the miserable fall and epic rebirth
of Edmund Dantes, the hapless innocent turned bloodthirsty adversary. He laments over
lost love, stolen opportunity, and vicious betrayal. He escapes prison (marking him as a
fugitive), and immerses himself among upper class society, made up of enemies he
devises to thwart. Dantes is incredibly introspective as he languishes in prison. He is left
to deep thought as his sole occupation. He is quite intelligent and perceptive, and
becomes educated. Once he takes on the persona of the Count, he is seen as dashing,
mystifying, charming, sophisticated, and rather imperious (in other words, Byronic Hero).
Let it be noted that he addresses pain, an intangible sensation, in order to express that
pain simply makes him stronger, as opposed to weakening him.

12

Metaphor
Definition: A comparison when the subject regarded is said to be something else.

Example: Marius

Pontmercy

The soul helps the body, and at certain moments raises it. It is the only bird that
sustains its cage.
***
Victor Hugos Les Miserables follows the tales of several individuals undergoing the
pangs of poverty and grief. Marius is ber broody. He spends his days and nights in
contemplation, owning to his perceptive and intellectual nature. He is a sophisticated
lawyer who lives in abject destitution among the scum of society in the 1800s
France. While referring to him as a Byronic Hero would be a stretch, he certainly
excels in the broody department. He goes through phases of obsession and fixation,
first with his father, second with French politics, and lastly with a girl he sees when
strolling through the park. He is prone to losing sight of everything but the object of
his never-ending musing, and he suffers from depression when that
person/thing/idea is lost to him.
The bird is a metaphor for the soul, which can fly and be free. The cage represents
the body, which is only the vessel which harbors the soul.

13

Rhetorical Question
Definition: A statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed
to be answered.

Example: Lestat

de Lioncourt

Have you said your good-byes to the light?

***
Anna Rices Lestat from The Vampire Chronicles plays well into the evil Byronic
Hero. This blood-sucking monster throws all convention out the window as he
rebels against all authority. For some reason, Lestatalong with so many other
vampires among literary and pop culture circleshas this intrinsic power of
seduction. As a vampire, he is an outsider among humans. This conflicted deviant
is described as charismatic, though he shuns much of society, deeming mankind
to be savage. He is lonely, pensive, and accustomed to misery. This broodmonster suffers from boats of depression, isolation, infatuation, and other deadly
humors.
This rhetorical question from the 1994 flick Interview with a Vampire is used to
create a foreboding tone. Lestat does not require an answer. He is simply asking
the question to dramatize the events.

14

Allusion
Definition: A brief reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea in history or
literature.

Example: Hamlet,

Prince of Denmark

O excellent a king, that was to this

Hyperion to a satyr. So loving to my mother
***
William Shakespeares masterpiece, Hamlet follows the musings of a miserable
prince on a mission to avenge his murdered father. His distaste for society, along
with the motif of misogyny, is awakened by his uncles treachery and mothers
betrayal. Hamlet undergoes societal isolation both mentally and physically. He
became somewhat of an outcast in Elsinore Castle, after rumors spread of his
insanity. His uncle, King Claudius attempted to exile him to England. He may be
the most conflicted character ever to appear in print. His broodiness is
unmatched. Hamlet has seven major soliloquies that display his genius and
insight. Much of his behavior verges on self-destruction. He contemplates suicide,
murder, war, and all death in general. Hamlet also exercises sexual dominance
over Ophelia, even though he adopts distrust for women and aversion to sex.
In this example, Hamlet makes an allusion to Greek mythology. He compares his
father to a titan of the sun, sky, and light, while demeaning his uncle to a goat.

15

Epigram
Definition: A brief, pointed, and witty saying that usually makes a satiric or
humorous point.

Example: Sherlock

Holmes

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever
observes."
***
Sherlock Holmes, protagonist of Arthur Conan Doyles famous detective novels, is
an observant, cunning, fastidious, drug-riddled inspector who lives life on the
edge solving Scooby Doo mysteries. If we INSPECT all his attributes, we will come
to the clear-cut conclusion that he too is a Byronic Hero. He is well-educated and
insanely intelligent. Sherlock has an innate ability to adapt easily and is alarmingly
egotistical. He is drawn to mystery and dares to solve the unexplainable with his
mustached colleague Watson. Scholars deem him self-destructive, because he
enjoys shooting up cocaine. He also smokes a pipe, which is harmful to ones
lungs.but it does promote a certain air of smugness that cannot be readily
achieved without the oddly shaped smoking implement. Sherlock is chop-full of
witty sayings, such as the one listed above.

16

Antithesis
Definition: Contrary ideas expressed in direct contrast.

Example: Batman
You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
***
Bruce Wayne/Batman. He prefers to wear tight black spandex that accentuates
his rippling physique. He wears a mask and speaks in an annoyingly deep voice
to disguise his true identity and assume an aura of ambiguity. As Batman, Wayne
becomes a symbol of vigilantism. This roguish hero plays by no mans rules. He
admits to be neither good nor bad, but whatever Gotham needs [him] to be.
Wayne struggles with anger and resentment linked to his parents untimely
murder. By day, he lives as a filthy rich, eccentric, aloof entrepreneur. By night, he
dresses like a bat and fights crime. He is cynical, moody, and self-critical,
constantly battling with his integrity. Oh, people claim he is also quite smart, but
if he were truly smart, he would ditch the bat ears and the blue-and-redspangled boy-toy, Robin.
The quote above contrasts die to live, and hero, to villain. Batman is giving
us a taste of his broodiness. He has quite a dark outlook on humanity. While all
the other superheroes run around in tacky, bright, patriotic tights, smiling and
having a good time being heroes, Batman is the emo of the group that brings
everyone down with his gloomy demeanor.

17

Anthimeria
Definition: Using a different part of speech to act as another, such as a verb for a
noun, or a noun for a verb.

Example: Severus

Snape

I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death if you arent as
big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.
***
Snape, from the Harry Potter franchise, is a noteworthy Byronic Hero. He is
previously a follower of the main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, but he turns into a
double-agent after the death of his true love, Lily Potter.
He definitely earns a spot in the Hall of Broody Men, due to his dark hair, dark
clothing, imperious manner, and affinity for dark magic. His slow, ominous way of
speaking also helps convey his spookiness. Snape, in other words, is that freaky
Goth kid grown up.
The use of Anthimeria is apparent, because bottle and stopper are both nouns
which he uses as verbs.

18

Simile
Definition: A comparison using like or as.

Example: Edward

Cullen

Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night

***
Edward Cullen is yet another Byronic Hero found within literature (if, in fact,
Twilight can be considered literature). He harbors a deadly secret about his
identity (SPOILER ALERT: He is a vampire!). Mr. Cullen hates himself along with
most other things. He presents himself as the clich romantic lead: strangely
alluring, (apparently) intelligent, cryptic, pessimistic, reserved, sarcastic, and
poetic. His broodiness comes out through his vehement denouncement of
vampire-kind, his inability to survive without Bellas love, his attempted suicide
after he finally decides to dump her, and that stupid look on his face (seen
above). Normal people dont make that face. Thats the face of a Brood-monster.
*Disclaimer: I hate Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and the entirety of the Twilight Saga.

19

Sarcasm
Definition: A form of verbal irony that mocks or conveys the opposite of what is being
said.

Example: Han

Solo

* Jabba, youre a wonderful human being.

* Princess Leia: Looks like youve managed to cut off our only
escape route.
Han Solo: Maybe youd like it back in your cell, Your Highness.
***
Star Wars Han Solo has been pegged a Byronic Hero. He is a cocky, gun-slinging, fasttalking outlaw who operates in smuggling and piloting a super-duper fast contraption
known as the Millennium Falcon. He has the arrogance factor, the outlaw dynamic, and
the Casanova appeal. He is not exceptionally broody. Solo likes to operate alone (as his
name suggests), though he does have a faithful companion, Chewbacca the Wookie. To
me, he is more of an Anti-hero than a Byronic Hero. Hes more of a cowboy in space than
a brood-monster in a gothic mansion.
He is, however, very sarcastic. He calls Jabba a wonderful human being, which is doubly
ironic, because Jabba is a masochistic, gluttonous glob of jelly donutsand he is, in fact,
not a human, but a Hut (I always think of Pizza Hut. That must be his cousin). During his
exchanges with Leia he is often even more sarcastic. He suggests she goes back to her
cell, knowing that is the last thing she wants to do.

20

Metaplasmus
Definition: Misspelling a word to create a rhetorical effect. ling, -let, -ette, and
inator are often used.

Example: Anakin

Skywalker

Obi-Wan: Then why don't you listen to me?

Anakin: I try, Master.
Obi-Wan: Can you see him?
Anakin: I think he's a she... and I think she's a Changeling.
Obi-Wan: In that case be extra careful. Go and find her.
***
The main antagonist of Star Wars starts out as a whiny, broody little punk. His
charismatic charm inspires an initial magnetism. As his powers develop, he
becomes consumed by arrogance, pride, greed, and selfishness. He becomes
Darth Vader (dark father), clearly attributing to the dark aspects associated with
the Byronic Hero. His behavior can be seen as self destructive, for his bodys
outer burning symbolizes the wreckage of his charred and corrupted soul. Anakin
struggles with his moodiness and passion. He broods intensely over his mothers
death, his wifes prophesized death, his revenge, his rank, his duty, his integrity,
etc. etc.

21

Enallage
Definition: Intentionally misusing grammar to characterize a speaker or to create
a memorable phrase.

Example: Captain

Jack Sparrow

On deck, you scabrous dogs Hands to braces! Let down and haul to run free Now, bring
me that horizon And really bad eggs. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!
***
Jack Sparrow from the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a rumbustious,
adventurous pirate who plays by his own rules. This outlaw spends most of his days on
the run from the authorities. He uses his cunning and sword-fighting skills to escape
death or imprisonment. He can be rather charming in his own quirky way, though he
lacks refinement and proper etiquette. Jack struggles with his integrity. He has this
infamous reputation as a swaggering criminal; he has a decent heart and a loyalty to his
friends Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. He stabs their backs one day and rescues them
the next. This rogue, similar to Han Solo, is considered a Byronic Hero, though he is not
particularly broody or introspective. Captain Jack Sparrow is extroverted and stimulated
by outside forces.

22

Bathos
Definition: A list categorizing the least important item last, usually for humorous
effect. This creates an anticlimax.

Example: Willy

Wonka

Invention, my dear friends, is 93%%perspiration, 6%%electricity,

4%%evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.
***
Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971) comes across as an
eccentric misanthrope with a chocolate chip on his shoulder. Hes definitely not
what one expects. Wuthering Heights to Heathcliff is what the chocolate factory
is to Wonka. It serves a dual purpose as his lonely prison and his safe haven. His
outlook is dark and he is bitterly sarcastic and crass. This peculiar chocolatier
prefers to live an isolated existence, brooding in bittersweet seclusion.
Willy Wonka lists the basic fundamentals of invention, building suspense with
every ingredient. One would expect the most important item to be introduced
last, but Wonka finishes with an anticlimactic butterscotch ripple, alleviating all
serious precedent entertained by the building suspense.

23

Alliteration
Definition: Repetition of a sound in multiple words

Example: Shrek
NO! You dense, irritating, miniature beast of burden! Ogres are like onions! End
of story! Bye-bye! See ya later.
***
Dream Works blockbuster Shrek follows the journey of yet another anti-hero.
This people-hating stick-in-the-mud prefers to live the quiet life of a hermit on a
peaceful swamp. He is an outcast, labeled a violent, brutish ogre. He has a
distaste of social conventions, like manners, curtsey, and hospitality. Shrek is
often sarcastic and sharp-tongued with many of the fairy-tale creatures he
encounters. He has a realistic outlook that is contrasted within the fantasy realm
he lives in. He may be grouchy, uncouth, and ugly, but he makes up for it with
laconic wit and intelligence unmarked in the rest of the characters.
Shrek constantly struggles against his integrity. He wants so desperately to be
accepted, and he succeeds in acts of valor and gallantry in attempt to prove to
the world-and himself-that he is not just a bestial Neanderthal. Shrek is like
an onion. Hes not a flat and one-dimensional. He has layers.

24

Anapodoton
Definition: Deliberately creating a sentence fragment by the omission of a clause.
The main clause is implied.

Example: Woody
Jessie: You callin' me a liar?
Woody: Well, if the boot fits...
Jessie: [adjusting her hat] Say that again.
Woody: [slowly] If the boot-tuh fits!
***
Though Pixars Woody is not exactly a Byronic hero, he does make up for it by
being a somewhat arrogant, party-pooping stick-in-the-mud. He is quite
intelligent for being made of plastic. He uses sarcasm and incisive wit to belittle
those inferior to him in an attempt to boost his own self esteem.
The example above is a prime example of Woody being his grouchy self. His use
of fragmentation implies without him actually saying that Jessie is in fact a liar.

25

Synsthesia
Definition: Mixing one type of sensory input with another in an impossible way.

Example: Fenris
"Ah, here we are at the center of power. Smell the oppression, everyone!"
***
This passionate elf from Biowares Dragon Age 2 brings the Byronic hero to the
video game realm. Fenris dark past stems from his enslavement by an evil mage.
His lyrium tattoos burned into his skin signify the emotional scarring that resulted
from his suffering. He knows nothing of his life before enslavement, which
recommends a tone of mystery.
He yearns for revenge and condemnation of the mage community. Fenris has a
tendency to emphasize the oppression and exploitation that runs rampant in
society. He declares oppression is not simply known of or seen, but smelled as
well, to exaggerate the pervasiveness of tyranny.

26

Onomatopoeia
Definition: Words that imitates the sound it is associated with.

Example: The

Beast

FINE! Then go ahead and starve! If she doesnt eat with me, then she doesnt eat
at all! SLAM! [as he shuts the door behind him and storms down the hallway].
***
The Beast, from Disneys Beauty and the Beast, is yet another gloomy individual
who dwells in a spooky, gothic manor, and exiles himself from society. He is
rather biting, abrasive, and contemptuous. He led a life of vanity and splendor,
but all went sour after a witch set a curse on him that took away his beauty. He
becomes self-critical and self-deprecating after the humbling experience, though
he also denounces humanity as superficial and cold. He endures bouts of
moodiness, stints of loneliness, and battles with his integrity. He is damned to
forever look like a villain (unless he breaks the curse), so he fights with the urge
to behave like one.
The use of onomatopoeia is a literary technique where the word replicates the
sound that is implied. Slam! is an example, just as fizz, pop, burp, and slurp are
onomatopoeias.

27

Catachresis
Definition: A completely impossible figure of speech.

Example: Squidward

Tentacles

SpongeBob: But a visit to the Krusty Krab makes everyone happy, and
what could be better than handing out smiles?
Squidward: Being dead, or anything else.

***
No one is as discontent as Squidward Tentacles from the hit Nickelodeon cartoon
Spongebob Squarepants. Sticks-in-the-mud immediately identify with this arrogant,
overly sarcastic, extremely pessimistic, struggling artist/fast food cashier. While perhaps
not the most heroic, this squid is quite broody. He escapes from daily annoyances by
playing the clarinetpoorly. He harmonizes his restless spirit through paintingbadly.
This faux-intellectual deems himself high-brow, sophisticated, and daringly original,
conceding that everyone around him lacks culture, smarts, class, and style. He isolates
himself from the residents of Bikini Bottom. He is emotionally conflicted about his
feelings for Spongebob. Though he detests him, a part of him knows that he cannot live
without him.
The dialogue above contains an example of catachresis, because it is a physical
impossibility to hand out smiles. Smiles are attached to faces. Besides, technically,
Squidward has no hands.

28

Pun
Definition: The twisting of the meaning of words, often to create a humorous effect.

Example: Eeyore
Its not much of a tail, but Im sort of attached to it.
***
Winnie the Poohs manic depressive pal, Eeyore, lives a life of monotony and
unfortunate incident. He often talks of his lack of stimulation, his dearth of
socialization, and his perpetual state of gloom. He may not have the snobbish
schooling, the disrespect for the privileged/authoritative, or dark past stained
with malfeasance that would admit him into the Byronic Hero club, but he is quite
broody. Eeyore often understates his misery, saying things like, We havent had
an earthquake lately. He uses this quirky kind of optimism that really enhances
instead of mitigates the sorrows of Eeyores life. Eeyore has this sarcastic, adult
humor that contrasts with his fellow stuffed animals. He has this philosophical
outlook of that everything cannot be, gaiety. Song and dance. Here we go round
the mulberry bush.
The quote above is a play on words, because Eeyores tail is literally sort of
attached to him.

29

Definition: Using a part of a physical object to represent a whole.

Example: Kurt Cobain

of an experienced simpleton who obviously would rather be an

emasculated, infantile complain-ee.

Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the popular band, Nirvana, is a self-admitted an

erratic, moody baby. He is famous for his broody song lyrics about death and
stuff (I think, I wouldnt actually know). I would categorize him as Byronic,
because he has that bad-boy image, with long hair that Im sure reeked with the
smell of weed, the guitar, and all that jazz (lul, he didnt play jazz). He was
certainly very prone to mood swings, and he led a life of self-destruction. He
buried himself in drugs and ultimately ended his own life. Like many song-writers,
he had an aversion to societal pressures and accepted his uniqueness.
The quote above, taken from his suicide letter, is an example of synecdoche,
because the tongue is representing his words and ideas.

30

Hyperbole
Definition: An extreme exaggeration.

Example: Jacob

Excell

Mrs. Peterson: Is this another heroin theory, Jacob?

Jacob Excell: {scoffs} Yeah. Everything is about heroin.
***
My classmate, Mr. Jacob Excell, while perhaps not exuding all aspects known to the
Byronic Hero, does appear to have many reservations about society and intrinsic faults of
humanity. With a sardonic sense of humor, his biting remarks give off the impression
that he is trying to disguise his sensitive underlying nature. I can definitely envision Excell
brooding around a haunted castle or a desolate lighthouse for all eternity. I can also see
him writing dark poetry about death, lost love, despair, and, of course, heroin.
The statement that every piece of literature is actually alluding to the effects of heroin is
absurd. Hamlet, for example, hasnt any heroin related undertones. In fact, I do not
believe anything we have read thus far has correlation to heroin, thus disproving Excells
claim.

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