🕯️ The Bridge at Tay (Theodor Fontane)
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Fontane's ballad from Realism tells of the railway disaster on the Tay Bridge in Scotland. The ballad uses striking linguistic images to create a dark, foreboding mood:
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Important linguistic images:
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- The recurring lines "Tand, Tand is the work of human hand!" highlight the fragility of human creations.
- The forces of nature are brought to life through metaphors and personification: "The waters rise, they rise in fury", "Winds, the howling, shrieking winds".
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Effect on the mood:
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- The images of raging nature place the dominance and threat of the elements at the forefront.
- The regularly repeated verses create a sense of foreboding and anxiety.
- The contrast between human technology and unpredictable nature is powerfully illustrated by the linguistic imagery.
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⚙ tay