Literary Devices-Onomatopoeia-Poetic Devices-Figures of Speech

 

1.Onomotapoeia: 

It is a figure of speech very much used in literary works to create an illusion of the actual sound of the things being described.

 For example, the word ‘thunder’ creates the illusion of the sound produced by the clouds. Similarly, we have the words used for the illusion of the sound/voice/noise created by the words like ‘roar’ for by the lions, ‘howling’ by the wolves, etc., buzzing by the bees, ‘boom’ by an explosion of some fireworks, etc., thud by the falling of a thing, grumbling by human beings, ‘tick-tick’ for the clock, ‘gong’ for the hitting on a big-bell, ‘ding-dong’ for some musical instrument, etc.

We have a long list of the words used under the name of this literary device. But a few of them are mew, moan, groan, mumble, mutter, whisper, whooping, knell, hush, churning, throbbing, screech, chatter, etc.

Examples:

 (i)‘He saw nothing and heard nothing but he could feel his heart pounding and then he heard the clack on stone and the leaping, dropping clicks of a small rock falling.’

(Taken from Ernest Hemingway’s ‘For whom the Bell Tolls’

 

(ii) They click upon themselves

As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. (From Robert Frost’s Birches)

Kanthapura: The Language, the Narrative Style and the Literary Merits’

 

The Language, the Narrative Style and the Literary Merits’ of Kanthapura

 Kanthapura is a successful novel even if it is judged through its narrative style and techniques used by Raja Rao. It was a big challenge for the writer to achieve his goal by writing this novel in English. He had to make some innovations in his narrative style to suit the Indian atmosphere.

 Let’s study this novel in the light of the use of ‘language, the narrative style and the literary merits’ of Kanthapura.

 As we know, it was not an easy task for the writer to narrate a tale of an imaginary village, named Kanthapura, where people had different mindsets and where most of the people were illiterate, following different myths and superstitions. They were the people who were divided on the basis of caste and religion. The writer was to portray them as living beings, clashing with one another to safeguard their personal interests and then to elevate them to unite for the bigger cause of being a part of Gandhiji’s  Movement.

 

 So the first priority for the writer was to mould English language according to the people of Kanthapura in order to express their thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the harsh reality in which they lived in. The second necessity for the writer was to select a narrative style. For this, he decided to use an age-old ancient style of story-telling, which is very popular in our country.

 

We all have grown up by listening to the tales narrated by our grandmothers in a simple and spontaneous manner. Here, the narrator is Achakka, the village's old grandmother, who narrates the tale of the events that took place long-long ago in Kanthapura. Some of the incidents have become dim in her memory with the passage of time. But whatever she narrates, she narrates wonderfully.

 

Raja Rao himself admits the fact that telling a tale is not an easy job when he was to capture the tempo of Indian life in a foreign language. The novelist was to record the swift movements of thoughts and actions that prevail in an average Indian mind. The novelist has done this successfully in Kanthapura.

 

The writer does not use any flashback that slows down the tempo of the action. Wherever, the writer finds space, we come to know about his viewpoint.  The narrator in one of the people living in Kanthapura and it also lends authentication to the events.

We find word-pictures in plenty. The novelist has described everything that he thought necessary very minutely. Sometimes our senses of sight, sound, and even smell are stirred. In the first chapter, the movements of the bullock carts on the zigzag ‘kachcha’ roads creating a cloud of dust behind them are marvelous. Similar examples abound in the novel.

 

The novelist has also kept in mind the subject matter that is used while speaking by different characters in the novel. They speak in accordance with their education, religious and cultural values they have acquired in their rural background. Raja Rao has also used Indianised words for certain religious ceremonies like  “God’s birth celebration ceremony”, “rice-eating ceremony”, “hair-cutting ceremony”, “death ceremony”, ‘Sankara-Vijaya’,  ‘Sankara-Jayanthi’,‘Harikathas’, etc.

 

Like a modern writer of great eminence, T.S. Eliot, Raja Rao has also used myths in this novel. It makes the narrative of the novel look more Indian. He has used the myths of the goddess Kenchamma, Lord Rama and Sita, Lord Krishna, Brahma, Siva, etc. Under the umbrella of these religious myths and belief, the people of Kanthapura stand united in the leadership of Moorthy to participate in Gandhiji’s freedom struggle.

Thus, we may say that Raja Rao’s narrative style and the literary devices he used in this novel are superb.

 

Kanthapura # Questions and Answers # Short Answer-type Qs (21 to 30) # Kanthapura by Raja Rao# Qs & Ans

 

               Questions & Anwers. Chapter 1: Kanthapura

Q21. How was the Kanthapurishwari temple erected?

Ans. One day, while going through the narrator’s backyard, Moorthy, Narsamma’s son, found a half-sunk-linga there. Then he had an idea to unearth, wash and consecrate (sanctify/make holy) it. The holidays were going on and, so, with the help of the boys, a structure as a temple there was erected. Bhatta duly performed the consecration ceremony.

Q22. Describe how Sanskara Vijaya is held in the village?

Ans. The postmaster Suryanarayan proposed the reading of ‘Sankara-Vijaya’ It was accepted by all. It was read by Old Ramakrishnayya every day for the whole month. Dinner for each day of the month would be arranged by them turn by turn. On the days when there would be no one to offer dinner, in that case, Rangamma would do it. Thus the ‘Sankara-Jayanthi’ was started that very day. After the dinner, the younger women sang and the older ones discussed the ‘mayavada’. Then they went home.

Q23. Describe something about Sastriji.

Ans. Sastriji was a famous ‘harikatha’ narrator. The Maharaja of Mysore had already honoured him with a palace shawl. Sastri had sent the Maharaja an epic on the sojourn (temporary stay away from home) of Rama and Sita in the hill country. They also believed he would soon get a permanent place in the king’s court palace. He was a fine singer also.

Q24. Describe fundraising by Moorthy.

Ans. Moorthy goes from one house to the other to raise funds. He even goes to the potters’ the weavers’ and the Sudras’ quarters too. He gathers one hundred and forty-seven rupees. After that, the narrator goes on to describe how much money was paid to Moorthy by different persons of the village.

Q25. Briefly tell about the Harikatha told by Jayramchar.

Ans. The narrator says that Jayaramchar has a wonderful way of narrating ‘Kathas’ and he can make everyone weep. He narrated ‘Siva and Parvati’, Shakunthala and Yasodha. During Harikatha, the people of Kanthapura are made known to Gandhiji and his struggle for freedom. People are told how Gandhiji believed in the truth and unity of people; how he loved all religions and how he remained on fasts and prayed and how his enemies fell on his feet, etc.

Q26. How has Brahma been described by the Harikathaman?

Ans. Lord Brahama lies on the bed made by his serpent. He is called the self-created God. He had great regard for sages. The great Saint Valmiki informs Brahma about the miserable condition of India. Brahma sent a message to Lord Shiva at once to bring freedom to India from slavery.

Q27.How has Bharatha was described by the Harikathaman?

Ans.  The Harikathaman described Bharatha as the chief daughter of Brahma. She has been called the goddess of wisdom and well-being. Lord Brahama gifted her the  Himalayas in the North, the Ganges, the Godavari, the Cauvery, and the seven seas to the south,               

Q28.How has Gandhi been described by the Harikathaman?

Ans. Gandhiji began his fight against the enemies of the country. From his early age, he had begun to go to villages and assembled people to talk to them.  He had such a brilliant personality that people followed him in crowds as they did to Lord Krishna, the flute player. Thus Gandhiji goes from one village to the other to slay the serpent of the British Rule.

Q29.How does the Harikathaman describe Gandhiji’s teachings to the village.

Ans. During Harikatha, the people of Kanthapura are made known to Gandhiji and his struggle for freedom. People are told how Gandhiji believed in truth and unity of people; how he loved all religions and how he remained on fasts and prayed and how his enemies fell on his feet, etc. we also come to know that Moorthy and several other people throw their foreign clothes and become Gandhian followers.

Q30. How is India equated with Siva in the novel Kanthapura?

Ans. In Kanthapura, India has been equated with Sita, Lord Rama’s wife. She was made imprisoned by Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka. He stood for Evil. Similarly, India has also been made imprisoned by the Britishers. So Lord Vishnu came on the Earth incarnated as Ram to free Sita from Ravana. In the same way, Mahatma Gandhi incarnated as Siva took birth on the earth to free India from British rule.