DAILY PROMPT S6 | WRITERS DAILY | TYLER WODEN
Daily Prompt — Session 6: Struggling To Add Pizazz To Your Writing? Introducing ‘Juxtaposition’
It’s our second week here on Daily Prompt
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…” In this passage from A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses juxtaposition in such a clever way. You see, Dickens uses contrasting pairs.
Daily prompt week 2
Firstly, allow me to say thanks for coming back. Second, I will begin with a recap of what we did last week.
Last week we covered various genres in our prompts and gave you plenty of material to flow with and get started on a story, article, or whatever else you may have wanted to write.
This week, we are going to be introducing a ‘literary technique’ to learn or practice.
What is a literary technique?
First, before you go any further, I will encourage you to visit my ‘Living Dictionary’ over at ‘My Muse’ and get a handle on these words if you don’t fully grasp them already.
Yes, I am pushing you to do more of my work, but more importantly, I am aiding you by not clogging the purpose of these sessions. I want to keep it all to prompts and learning.
Now, let’s get into it.
Daily prompt — week 2 — session 6 — juxtaposition
How do we use juxtapositions?
Hopefully, you have read the definition of juxtaposition from the Living Dictionary. Now, if you still do not know how to use them in writing, let’s do a quick exercise before we go into the prompts of the week. I implore you to be certain of knowing the meaning of ‘juxtaposition’ as the prompts this week will focus on this.
***If you already know how to use juxtaposition, then skip this part and scroll down to your prompt.***
Exercise
I used to read Dickens, so let’s use him.
Read the following excerpt from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and identify the juxtaposition:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…”
Did you find the juxtaposition? Look carefully. Look for contrasting situations.
Found it? No? Okay, let me explain.
Answer
In this passage from A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses juxtaposition in such a clever way. You see, Dickens uses contrasting pairs. Take a look below:
They are “the best of times” and “the worst of times,” “the age of wisdom”, “the age of foolishness”, “the epoch of belief”, and “the epoch of incredulity.”
These contrasting pairs Dickens utilizes emphasize the extreme and contradictory nature of the historical period described in the novel. These stark comparisons highlight the extreme and contradictory nature of the historical period depicted in the novel.
Okay, now, go below to the prompts.
Daily Prompt — Week 2 — Session 6
Literary technique to be used: Juxtaposition
A bustling city street and a serene, untouched forest
Prompt: “Create a short story using the juxtaposition of a bustling city street and a lone tree.”
Imagine This:
The heart of St.Vermont, where the streets hummed with life and skyscrapers stretches towards the sky, there stood a lone tree. A towering oak, with its branches reaching out, as if to embrace the bustle, the chaos around it.
Samuel listened. Amidst the noise of honking horns and hurried footsteps, that lone tree stood in a silent defiance all of its own, as a symbol of nature’s resilience in the face of urban development and expansion. Samual watched as the leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and if only he could hear just that, he imagined it to be a soothing, gentle melody amidst the cacophony of city sounds.
Samuel covered his mouth and coughed. The tree was his goal. As he stood waiting to cross the chaotic traffic of the road and the people rushing around on the street, anticipating his chance to avoid the cars, he could not help but feel like he was merely lingering.
Yet, even in the midst of the city’s relentless maelstrom, Samuel found himself at a crossroads every weekday lunchtime. The urban cacophony of honking cars seemed to swirl around him. It was a daily contrast, he knew, to the serene presence of the lone tree across the road.
Did you spot my juxtapositions?
In the paragraphs of the story starter I wrote above, I used juxtaposition to contrast the bustling city environment with the peaceful presence of the lone tree.
The first paragraph
The heart of St.Vermont, where the streets hummed with life and skyscrapers stretches towards the sky, there stood a lone tree. A towering solitary oak, with its branches reaching out, as if to embrace the bustle, the chaos around it.
This first paragraph sets the scene by describing the vibrant city life and the solitary tree standing in contrast to it.
The second paragraph
Samuel listened. Amidst the noise of honking horns and hurried footsteps, that lone tree stood in a silent defiance all of its own, as a symbol of nature’s resilience in the face of urban development and expansion. Samual watched as the leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and if only he could hear just that, he imagined it to be a soothing, gentle melody amidst the cacophony of city sounds.
This contrast is further emphasized in the second paragraph, where the noise of the city is highlighted against the tree’s silent defiance and the imagined soothing melody of its leaves rustling.
The third paragraph
Samuel covered his mouth and coughed. The tree was his goal. As he stood waiting to cross the chaotic blurs of the road over to the calming sight of the tree. Samuel squinted, anticipating his chance to avoid the cars. Yet, here in St.Vermont, despite the speed of the vehicles and people about him, Samuel could not help but feel like he was merely lingering. Waiting. Delaying.
The third paragraph continues this juxtaposition, illustrating Samuel’s struggle with the chaotic city streets while longing for the calmness represented by the tree.
The final paragraph
Finally, the last paragraph, I wish to leave to you. Here is the challenge:
Yet, even in the midst of the city’s relentless maelstrom, Samuel found himself at a crossroads every weekday lunchtime. The urban cacophony of honking cars seemed to swirl around him. It was a daily contrast, he knew, to the serene presence of the lone tree across the road.
Task
- Quote/Highlight the juxtaposition/s
- Then explain what the juxtaposition does for the reader
I will look forward to your comments.
That’s all for session 6 of Daily Prompt.
If you missed any, please check out the list I placed them in here:
See you next session,
~TW~
***I will name a few people I think may enjoy this based on writers I see around Medium. Please do not be offended***
