bingo 1/28/25 Flashcards
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two fundamentally unlike things using the words “like,” “as,” or “than”
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“Mr. Kurz as an enormous black spider”
This simile portrays Mr. Kurz to be a black spider due to his nature of capturing the soccer balls that come in his property like a spider catching prey.
Imagery
Imagery is a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“then, seizing them with his foul legs, horrifically he sucked till there was naught left but the floppy remains.”
This use of imagery portrays how Mr. Kurz takes the soccer balls, and the specific diction of “floppy remains” could indicate how because of this theft, they are sucked of their happiness with only soulless remains. This also shows colonialism and how colonizers drain the resources from the colonies till there is nothing left.
Allusion
An allusion is a reference, typically brief, to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work with which the reader is presumably familiar
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“Mr. Kurz”
Mr. Kurz is a name very similar to “Mr. Kurtz”. This is alluding to the story “Heart of Darkness”, in which the character Mr. Kurtz is seen as a greedy and power-hungry trader taking from his colonies in Congo. Mr. Kurz is also similar, as he takes the soccer balls away from the children.
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a literary device that implies comparison or contrast by placing two entities side by side.
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“even the best, even the oldest players suffered a kind of muscular contraction, as if forcing themselves to hold back; and, in fact, what emerged was a weak, uncertain shot, which the goalie blocked with ease. “
Michele Mari juxtaposes between the ability of the player vs their production to show how even after damage has been done, it still affects those who were previously affected by it. Similar to colonization, colonies feel the effects of their colonizers even though they have long been independent.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that suggests a likeness or analogy between two things without using like or as.
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“The ball was a beautiful woman promised in marriage to a jealous tyrant, and that terrible torments awaited the reckless fool who dared so much as to graze her.”
This metaphor likens the ball to a beautiful woman, and how the husband obsesses over her so much he would not let anyone else touch her. Similarly, Mr. Kurz does the same with the soccer balls, keeping them in dated vases all for himself instead of letting the children play with it.
Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device that involves the repetition of the first consonant sound
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“Bragonzi was left with the special sorrow of having failed to touch the ball even once.”
This use of alliteration expresses Bragonzi’s sadness on a much more emotional aspect. His sorrow being described as special is done because of his anticipation of playing with the ball, and missing out on that made him all the more sadder.
Repetition
Repetition is the act of saying or doing something again
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“He saw all of them, all at once, and with them the generations, the jerseys, the hopes, the dashes and dives.”
This use of repetition repeats nouns that have great meaning and weight, almost like the greenhouse has been transformed into a treasure room filled with the wildest dreams of a child.
Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“a line of empty pots, ready to welcome new arrivals…”
Mari’s use of personification in this instance portrays the pots as individuals ready to consume the hopes and joys of the children by housing their source of it. It also adds a feeling of unsettling -ness due to the previous description of Mr. Kurz being a spider, since these are pots set by him like a spider weaving a web
Irony
Irony is a literary device that involves a contrast or incongruity between expectations and reality
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“That ball alone had been snatched from the clutches of destruction; only that ball, from May 8, 1933, went on being a ball. “
This is a use of irony because in the present, the children see Mr. Kurz as snatching the balls from the clutches of happiness and joy, while here an older ball is seen to be snatched from the jaws of destruction. This basically shows both sides of the argument about preserving or enjoying your childhood as you can preserve aspects of it long after it goes away but lose the feeling of enjoying it.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary device in which a writer uses one thing to represent something more abstract
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“And many years later, when all those children went down into their graves, that ball would be more alive than them, the last memory of the matches of yesteryear.”
The soccer balls here symbolize the lives of the children themselves, as their memories, happiness, and dreams have been ingrained into the ball. This symbolism is what gives the soccer balls more meaning and allows us to see through the lenses of Mr. Kurz in why he hoards the balls.
Ellipsis
An ellipsis is a mark or a set of marks (such as …) indicating an omission (as of words) or a pause
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
” Bragonzi shivered at the thought of him sitting there, motionless, patient, day after day from morning till night, saddened by the fruitless days, weeks, months . . . “
This use of ellipsis portrays how slow the passage of time is for those who are elderly. It may show how Mr. Kurz’s only joy in life is living his childhood through the soccer balls, and without them he waits for time to consume him like it does everybody and everything else, even his childhood.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary device in which a writer uses one thing to represent something more abstract
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz
“He tried to imagine a match taking place behind that wall, Secerni’s attacks, Saniosi’s feints, Piva’s fouls, Fognin’s drives. “
