Oenone : Literary devices
Oenone is a notable literary work by Alfred Lord Tennyson. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Oenone.
Literary devices
Figures of Speech
- Personification: Tennyson gives human-like qualities to the mountain to show how deeply connected Oenone feels with nature. For example: “Dear mother Ida, hearken ere I die.”
- Imagery: Imagery means using words to create pictures in the reader’s mind. In Oenone, Tennyson paints a picture of a mountain full of flowing fountains and streams. For example: “Dear mother Ida, many-fountain’d Ida…”
- Symbols
- Mount Ida: Symbolizes innocence, peace, and the natural world, which Oenone has lost after Paris left her.
- Paris: Represents betrayal, temptation, and the painful consequences of desire.
- Helen: Symbolizes beauty that causes destruction.
- Fire Imagery: The inner fire that Oenone feels symbolizes intense pain, passion, and emotional destruction.
- The Child in the Womb (Imagined): Symbolizes fear of repeating the past and Oenone’s wish to prevent future suffering caused by love and betrayal.
Main Message: “Golden love turned into ashes.”