Speaking Turtle's Cafe

A TUTORIAL: Absurdity, Allegory, Metaphor, and Satire

I start to think, and then I sink into the paper, like I was ink. When I'm writing I'm trapped in between the lines. I escape when I finish... - "You Got Soul" Rakim Allah

MASHPEE – A writer sits at his laptop, amused by some of the comments left on his recent blogs. It can sometimes be amazing, that with the presence and popularity of such animated shows as Family Guy, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons, how folks still can’t recognize allegory, metaphor, absurdity, and satire. Instead, wry humor is mistaken for writing under the use of narcotics. Nope, folks on drugs write things like Alice In Wonderland, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Metamorphosis, and Les Fluers De Mal are examples of altered-state writings. Mine is just an exercise. As a long-time fan of writers like Harold Pinter, Ishmael Reed, Jack Douglas, and William S. Burroughs, he thought he could escape his socially cast role of apologist and return to the roots of his creative writing, but alas, it’s lost of a few.

He considered posting a mini-glossary that might be of some value to some readers (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 3^rd Edition):

Absurdism (ab-surd-ism) n. An existential philosophy based on the belief that society is irrational and that the search for or expectation of order brings the individual into conflict with the universe.

Allegory (al-le-go-ry) n. A tale where the characters and events serve as symbols for a deeper truths and general realities of human existence.

Metaphor (Met-a-for) n. A figurative use of language, using one object to symbolize another, drawing upon anaolgy and simile.

Satire (Sa-tire) n. A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn.

For more erudite and serious writings from this author, his fees start at $110/page. Otherwise, we’ll have to deal with what he feels like posting. There’s always the option to ignore and keep going.