Olivia McCrary Assignment 3

In “Piano” by D. H. Lawrence, diction is used to reveal the narrator’s affectionate, yet powerful nostalgia. This nostalgia is hinted at through the use of surreal, descriptive words- “the boom of the tingling strings” (ll. 3-4). “Boom” and “tingling” express an imaginative understanding of the event being recalled. This vivid memory is very fond as well. “Cosy parlour” (l. 8) and “tinkling piano” (l. 8) suggest a peaceful warmth, and it can be inferred that the narrator’s nostalgia is entirely positive. Yet, his nostalgia has significant power over him, causing him to eventually “weep like a child” (l. 12) in a “flood of remembrance’’ (l. 12). The words “weep” and “flood” emphasize the true extent of the narrator’s feelings toward his childhood memory.

"Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in."  --Amy Lowell

This particular statement exemplifies my personal reason for creating art. Art is indeed something made to express oneself- I may not create masterpieces, but I create things that reflect who I am. Whenever I feel there is something that must be said (something that I am forced to silence), or an emotion that must be captured, I write. I write poems, simple paragraphs, or occasionally just a sentence, anything that can recreate the thoughts in my head. By writing, I can explore the way I think and react. The words I scribble in my notebooks, or write on various school assignments (and later erase), are a part of my mind and my personality. I record my reactions to the world I live in, so that I can discover myself, hidden there somewhere.