Language and Literature
November 17, 2010
This paper is about the usages of language and authors.
In today’s society, we study language and literature. This is considered the foremost to a poet and novelist. Language is considered a decorative art that fits into one’s culture; we will take the time to analyze the ways in which Charles Bowden and Kirk Nesset use language in their novels. They are entitled Blue Desert and Paradise Road. Both authors use the same type of language to pull their readers into a world of remembrance. Bowden and Nesset will acenamate Kimiko Hahn’s language as we journey through her poems from the book of poem she wrote Toxic Flora
Bowden and Nesset are known to be two of America’s best writers according to reviewers from California Magazine, the Southern Review, and the Kenyon Review. When I opened Bowden’s book, the main thing that caught my eye in his use of language, He uses it eloquently as he takes his readers on a journey in the desert of Mexico to get an understanding of thousands of bats that flocks the Arizona desert. He says, “I know my job the cave is near Clifton and Mexico, two eastern Arizona mining towns of the forest, the wilderness country stretching northward toward the “Blue River”. In the only1960s, millions of bats lived in the colony (12).. The colony Bowden is referring to is with the bats; metaphorically, he is talking about the many acres of land that people never lives on, or figuring out how to till the land to make a living. In Bowden’s eyes, they are wild lands in the Arizona desert. It is very hot, dry, and too rocky and it has a lot of sand. It would be terrible for anyone to live there.
Bowden, Nesset and Hahn have in common is their common everyday language. In every culture, language is the most dominant element. We need it to communicate, verbally and bodily. These authors uses their contemporary, use of language to captivates reader’s mind, and imagination, without using long sentences, poor structures, and long explanations. These authors used their language through the writing of their books and poems, giving the readers the opportunity to say more with evoking vivid imagery causing the reader to feel the action that is taking place, rather than just simply reading pages in the text or reciting a poem.
Nesset, surprises the readers into new perception and appreciation of language matters. Out of the old tradition of language, there comes a phase “to play on words” (answer.com). Which normally offers to most basic styles in writing that is able to walk right into the spirit and the heart of the readers. He uses his intelligence as a tool effectively to create a character named in the story; Paradise Road used the character Cindy to establish a scene, he complains of Cindy’s behavior, causes him to be questioning it: He asked. “So why is Cindy so mad? She said, meaning his wife. “I have not been good;” He said. “I am not nice;” “But you are good;” “you are nice;” he met this woman on Paradise Road, walking half naked” (39) I believe that Cindy as the naked woman, represent Knesset lifestyle, been bold in his language. I seems like Nesset is not the type of person who holds problems inside. That could interpret as the half-naked woman.
Bowden, Nesset and Hahn, could only discovers themselves through their languages. I met these three authors on Brockport’s Campus, their occasions, reciting poems. Moreover, they were opened for questions and discussions. Few students had asked Hahn about her poems in her book titled Toxic Flora “ How did see received such great influence to creates those inspiring poems as a American- Japanese? She replied. “Actually, after studying Japanese’s culture, I have learned and love their language, it necessary to use it clearly and precise to demonstrates my idea.” “I loved language,” she said. Which left us to realize how important it is to use our, language effectively? In the book of poems Toxic Flora, there is a poem that really stands out that I believe will be benefit to this paper. Titled Demeter’s Cuttings. Hahn spoke of the things she learned from her mother. I will quote the poem”
“My mother taught me suspicion/ “
“To question a man’s gift, whether/ trifles or truffles/”
In this first stanza, it shows mother’s discipline and protection against other flesh; the word trifles, means root of a tree or valued as delicacy. Her mother may experience something bad in life and she may be afraid of Hahn walking into her footsteps. Therefore, she taught her to protect herself. Trust no one.
“She also taught me the name of trees/”
“And how to rub off/”
“The dried sheaths of silver dollars stalks-/”
“Toss the seeds back over the bed/”
“She didn’t teach me much else, and truthfully/”
“I like nature---- not to tend but to visit/”
These three stanzas carry three different meaning, first. She taught me the names of tree, informing the readers how important nature is to her mother. The tree, also represent life; knowledge, Christ and good and evil; One might against this interpretation, (see Genesis 2). Nevertheless, these stanzas are for learning. In line two, and how to rub off, indicates that she should stays away from people that will cause her to do the wrong thing. Hahn stated in her poem that she likes nature, only to visit but not to work on the farm. Or stays away in the woods somewhere. The main reason why she feels like visiting the farm, she may like to see the beauty of the forest glaze.
“To watch it takes care of itself”
“Still a fist fill of snapdragons/”
The significance of the snapdragons, speaks of the maiden that inhabiting something personifying, It takes the reader back to nature, Where Hahn would hang out for a while…
Hahn‘s poem explore the relationship between she and her mother and she should not put confident in no one,
Bowden, Nesset, and Hahn are truly lovers of language. They understand themselves writing and utilizing their languages in the hearts, of their readers. Bowden writes is very straight forward in delivering his language. In fact, I met with him on campus. He read couple of his poem and answered few questions about Mexico and drugs, and immigration, and so on. He shows concerned about the murders and the drug trafficking in Mexico. When he was asked why the drugs is so prevalent in Mexico, he respond by using his language very eloquently in commenting on the question. He replied. “Poverty is a part of the problem; drug is the biggest part of the problem which I believe should be legalized. Question: how did you survived by escaping to America? “I moved when I am forced by my spirit, that is why I am alive.” Bowden do not stammered when he speaks, he illustrates a special dancing rhythm in his voice and exposed it through his language for his reader to understand what he is talking about,
Bowden is in Mexico he sees plenty of land in the west he describes it” This is a Thruway canyon in Arizona, a place where United States would qualify as a national monument. But here in careless riches of the West’s wild land is regard as simple another slit thought the high country, a named on a map that few visit; We pitched our packs under cottonwoods, and the canyon’s far side and way back across the stream” (13). The great descriptions that Bowden takes the time to delivered, it is linked to the idea to group, using words to create an impact upon the readers in order for them to see the things that are taking place in Arizona. He framed together his five senses, he used the word we looked up and there is a a huge vault door to the cave. He inhaled the nature of the Arizona wild land. He feels, he sees, when he walks along with Ronnie, Ronnie may have been his friend. All the way through that tarried Arizona dried land, Charles Bowden uses his language to negative to an unknown destination in the West. What we notice about Bowden language, he has a fascinating tone and a voice that is very contagious to his readers. He uses a lot of actions verbs and nouns, which are essential to a reader. Take for example on page (9) these words, running shoes, climb, wilderness, and fungus. They are brilliantly said.
Kirk Nesset whose writing and language is very similar to Bowden’s he is a descriptive writer and he uses fascinating language to send out his message to his readers. In one of his novel, The Paradise Road there is a story that is titled the Paradise Road. He gives a great description of a woman wearing a sweater. Says, “She had Cindy’s big red sweatshirt on, a pair of Cindy’s white ,socks pulled to her kneecaps” (39). That is very straightforward. His reader has no problem finding Cindy wearing these clothes. In Nesset’s prospective, he shows himself to be a descriptive writer through his language. In fact a pulled a review from the internet, Journal Magazine, where someone review his writing and comment on his language, by saying, “ it’s a thought trick in fiction to create a self- awareness character whose language still reveals to the reader something the character doesn’t know himself. Nesset is good at it, and it earned the Deuce Hein’s literature Prize” (Journal Magazine).
The reviewers gave Nesset a great review about his work. It is imperative for Bowden and Nesset to have the knowledge of effective language in order to get to the hearts of their readers. Speaking and writing. That is what Professors are looking for in lecture halls, effective language in novels and essays.
When I continue to read Bowden, Knesset’s and Hahn‘s novels, and poems, it is as if they are competing against themselves with their descriptive behavior and language. For example, we read in this story the “Bat” in “Blue Desert” which is one of the story in Bowden’s book, he was talking about a female friend he met in Mexico , who was wearing a T-shirt advertising that she loves bats. In those sentences, there is Bowden’s voice and tone. Talking to this female in his’ language, “I first met her in Chircahua Mountains, she was wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed I LOVE BATS. By then she was deep into her doctorate, a sprawling, undefined investigation held together solely by bats, thousands and thousands of bats. We talked and then there seemed nothing to do but go to the dark stone room” (11). Here we learned that this female friend of Bowden loves bats. Now how could we know if Bowden did not know how to conducts his language and manifest it on paper.
We have Nesset walking on the same road with Bowden. He talks about a female named Cindy. we mention her because the way in which he describes her in his language is fantastic. we like when he says, “She being gone now three months. All she took was her money and her keys and the clothes she had on; she left nary a note, not even an I’ve had it you bastard, I’ll see you in court” (41). These sentences were very precise. She left without saying where she was going. Could Nesset’s reader understand what he was talking about if he had not used descriptive language? You see Nesset and Bowden are like two nickels in a dime that are so close; it can only buy two candy balls. Just five cent each that as close as they are when writing their descriptive languages, it is impossible to be a writer without knowing the way to a reader’s mind, readers needs to be nourishment from his writing through his language. It is like a baby sucking his mother’s breast. Language and literature is the domain for all poets and novelist. Take the time to look at all these college degrees that are coming out, because of modern writers such as Bowden, Nesset, and Hahn who sees the importance of placing their writing in the educational curriculum. They spread their ideas by using effective language to demonstrate their thoughts. They are bold and precise in their writing and it shows in their languages. (C. Taylor Term Paper ). free to use.
