An Analysis of Images Based on Contrasts and Differences in Christian Themba Msimang’s Poetry

Abstract

The objectives of this article are to mention and explicate the images that are differentiating and contrasting in Msimang’s poetry with an aim of highlighting the poetic meanings, themes and rhyme. The fundamental figures of speech that are identified, classified and analyzed are antithesis, irony, ambiguity and sarcasm. Their characteristics are that they all appear to contain conflicting or opposing ideas that are brought by words and phrases. The figures of speech that are based on comparisons, sound devices, exaggerations and understatement are implied. The use of these images brings about rich and varied styles with an inexhaustible sense of beauty. This is where we can detect the classic nature of the poets’ poetry. Images are used for poetic truth to compare animate and inanimate, big and small, good and bad objects in a more innovative and original way. The analysis concentrate on the expressive, referential, conative and poetic functions. The structuralism theory and approaches are adopted for this research work.