Lesson video

Hello and welcome to your lesson today on analysing Murakami's use of extended metaphor in the opening to his novel "After Dark." I'm Miss Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome for today is to analyse Murakami's use of semantic field and extended metaphor in the opening to his novel, "After Dark." Here are our four key terms for today's lesson.

They are semantic field, extended metaphor, dynamic and cumulative.

Pause the video and familiarise yourself with those words and their definitions.

Off you go.

We'll be revisiting each of these key terms in today's lesson.

We'll be getting really familiar with them, so don't worry if you haven't come across them before.

So in our lesson today, we have two learning cycles.

We're going to begin with exploring semantic fields.

We're going to learn what a semantic field is, when a writer might use a semantic field and how semantic fields and extended metaphors are linked.

In our second learning cycle, we'll be using what we've learned about semantic fields and extended metaphors to extend Murakami's metaphor with our own creative ideas.

So let's begin with exploring semantic fields.

So the most perceptive language analysis will find and comment on patterns across the text.

This is because writers craft their texts with a cumulative meaning or effect in mind.

So this means that if Murakami had an idea to present the city as a living being, each sentence would need to add to that idea.

So one way to comment on patterns in a text is to actively search for links between words or phrases within that text and when multiple words in a text are linked via their meaning, this means a writer has used a semantic field.

If we were to read a text and realise that five, six words within that text were linked and they're linked because they mean similar things or are related to the same theme, we could say that writer has used a semantic field.

In this lesson, we are going to focus on semantic fields and we are going to understand what a semantic field is and how a writer can use them effectively.

So read this snippet from the poem, "Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley.

"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert, near them on the sand, half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown?" I want you to discuss, do you notice any similarities between any of the words in that poem snippet? Pause the video and discuss.

You may have noticed the word trunkless, sunk and shattered link together and all of those words link together because they relate to decay.

We could say then that Shelley has used a semantic field of decay because trunkless, sunk and shattered link together via their meaning.

They all relate to something being worn out, decayed or crumbling.

Therefore, Shelley, with all these words, has used a semantic field of decay.

Now, why would a writer choose to use a semantic field? Let's look at the example we have read already.

So in Shelley's poem, "Ozymandias," he says, "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone, stand in the desert.

Near them on the sand, half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown" Discuss why might Shelley have used the semantic field of decay in this poem? Pause the video and discuss.

Perhaps Shelley used the semantic field of decay to emphasise how pitiful the statue of "Ozymandias" is.

To demonstrate ultimately the futility of human power.

So clearly writers use semantic fields to evoke very strong ideas and feelings within a reader.

So in summary, why do writers use semantic fields? Firstly, writers use semantic fields to keep an idea persistent in a reader's head.

For example, a romantic sequence may contain a semantic field of love.

Writers also use semantic fields to develop their characters or places.

For example, a gothic setting may be accompanied by a semantic field of darkness or oppression.

So there are two reasons why writers may use semantic fields, but ultimately it's to create a clear and vivid image of something in the reader's mind, whether that be to, whether that be about the genre, whether that be about the character or the place.

Let's check our understanding of what we've talked about so far then.

Why might a writer use a semantic field? A, to create a fleeting image of something, B, to create a persistent image of something or C, to create a dull image of something.

Pause the video and answer that question now.

A writer may use a semantic field to create a persistent image of something in the reader's mind.

Remember, a semantic field is a group of words related by a meaning.

If a writer uses seven or eight words from the same semantic field, that means they're really trying to build up a strong image of whatever they're describing in the reader's mind and it means that, that image is not likely to fade because of how they keep adding to that semantic field and adding more words that build upon the same meaning.

Semantic fields can help writers to create extended metaphors.

Now, an extended metaphor is a metaphor that spans across several lines of text.

Let's read this example to understand how semantic fields can help to create extended metaphors.

"Aubrun hair cascades like ivy, framing a delicate face with skin soft as a petal.

Her smile opens up like a blossoming flower, the soft breeze of her laughter tickles my skin, her radiant eyes crease, glistening all the while.

Finally, she speaks.

Her voice is a gentle song, nourishing my soul as rain does the earth." Discuss now, what patterns do you notice within this text? Pause the video and look for the patterns.

Off you go.

You may have noticed the semantic field of nature here and all those words highlighted in purple are part of that semantic field.

Ivy, petal, blossoming, flower, breeze, radiant, song, nourishing, rain and earth.

There are so many, there are so many words there that fit the semantic field of nature.

Now discuss, how does the semantic field of nature present the character overall? Pause the video and discuss.

We could say the semantic field of nature has been used to create the extended metaphor of the character as spring, a nurturing and hopeful presence.

Now, the reason we've come to that conclusion is because the words flower, blossom, breeze, song, they all relate to the springtime.

So by using all of those words, the writer has built up this image in our heads of this female being like spring.

We can easily see how, if the writer chose to use words such as snow, icy, nip and frost, that they could easily present the character as winter, but still using the semantic field of nature to help craft that.

Now discuss what is the difference between a metaphor and extended metaphor.

Pause the video and discuss.

So let's take a look at the difference between a metaphor and extended metaphor.

A metaphor is simply comparing one thing to another, using the verb to be.

So we could say "She is spring." We are saying in one sentence that one thing is something else.

She is spring.

An extended metaphor though is basically like saying "She is spring," but we are creating the idea that she's spring over multiple lines.

So extended metaphors build vivid images in the reader's head more successfully and this is often achieved through a persistent semantic field.

So we can see how an extended metaphor creates a much more vivid image in our head of someone of the character as spring than the metaphor, "She is spring" does.

Now I want you to read the opening paragraph from chapter one of "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami.

I want you to actively search for patterns within the text as you read, pause the video and have a read of the text now.

Now I want you to answer these five questions to show that you've actively searched for links within the text and to show that you can spot semantic fields and extended metaphors.

Number one, note down any words that link together.

Next, how would you describe the semantic field? Number three, what is the semantic field being used to describe? Number four, what extended metaphor does Murakami create with his semantic field? And number five, why do you think Murakami decided to use this semantic field and extended metaphor? Pause the video and complete those five questions to demonstrate that you can apply your knowledge of semantic field and extended metaphor to a new fiction text, off you go.

Here are some of the ideas you may have had.

So for words that link together, organism, arteries, blood cells, circulating and metabolism, all link together.

Those are some of the words you could have jotted down when you were looking for patterns.

Now, how do these words link? These words could be linked by the theme of biology.

So therefore, Murakami uses the semantic field of biology, because all these words relate to the same concept, theme or have a similar meaning, and their meanings connect through biology.

So Murakami creates a semantic field of biology and this allows him to characterise the city as a living organism through extended metaphor.

It emphasises the dynamic nature of the city, how it seems to be alive in breathing.

It could also show how each part of the city is interconnected as is each part of the human body.

So we can see here how Murakami crafts this idea of the city being a live entity and he achieves this through his careful consideration of the semantic field of biology and by creating this really robust semantic field of biology, Murakami successfully paints this idea of the city as being a dynamic and alive presence in our minds.

So remember, semantic fields and extended metaphors are always used to create a really strong meaning about something or strong image about something in our heads.

Now we've understood Murakami's use of extended metaphor and we've delved into why he may have used it.

It's now time for us to be creative and extend Murakami's metaphor ourselves.

So now we understand Murakami's intention for his extended metaphor, we can attempt to extend it further.

Discuss which words could we add to fit the biological semantic field and continue to characterise the city as human.

Pause the video and discuss.

You may have said we could use the word cell, tissue, neuron, skeletal, nucleus, and transmit.

We could add those words to Murakami's description, because they all fit the biological semantic field and they would all help us to characterise the city as a human.

Now both Andeep and June have come up with words from the semantic field of biology to extend Murakami's metaphor.

Andeep has come up with skeletal, nucleus and plasma, and June has come up with transmit, vibrate and diffuse.

Considering the overall tone of the opening of "After Dark," whose word choices fit the extract better? Pause the video and reflect upon that question.

Now Murakami creates a fast pace in his opening stanza and uses a dynamic tone to show how the city is very much alive, thus June's word choices, transmit, vibrates and diffuse seem to fit better.

What this shows is that when we are creating our semantic field, we shouldn't be happy with chucking any old word in to our text just because it links to that semantic field.

We should be thinking about the specific effect we want our semantic field to have and choosing words that fit in to that.

Let's check your understanding.

Why is diffuse a better word than skeletal when thinking about extending Murakami's description of the city? Pause the video and answer that question to check your understanding of what we've talked about.

Now, diffuse, is a better word than skeletal when thinking about extending Murakami's description of the city, because diffuse emphasises the dynamic nature of the city.

In other words, diffuse, adds to this idea of the city being in continuous motion.

Skeletal is a word that does link into our biological semantic field, however, it doesn't necessarily tell us anything about how the city is acting and it doesn't add this idea of the city being a live entity.

It merely fits the semantic field of biology.

Remember, when creating our semantic fields, we want to add words that will have a cumulative effect in creating meaning.

Diffuse does that better than skeletal in terms of Murakami's tone.

Now I want you to continue writing the opening to "After Dark," and I want you to continue describing the city.

When you write, ensure you use words relating to the semantic field of biology, keep presenting the city as a live organism and keep the dynamic tone of the extract.

On the right are words you might want to use in your answer.

So use them to help you if you get stuck.

Pause the video now and continue writing the opening to "After Dark." I hope you enjoy writing.

Off you go.

Very well done.

I hope you've enjoyed being so creative.

You've not only showed that you understand Murakami's intended effect, but you've shown how you can use a semantic field in your own writing.

That's really impressive.

Now, I want you to reread your work.

I want you to highlight where you've used words that are linked to the semantic field of biology, where you've used words that make the city appear like a living thing and where you have used words that linked to the dynamic nature of the city.

Pause the video, reread your own work, and reflect upon it.

Off you go.

Brilliant effort there.

Your writing, I'm sure is very impressive.

It's really, really impressive that you've been able to write in the style of Murakami today and that you've been able to write with an intended effect in mind.

Now, let's go through what we've learned today.

A semantic field is a group of words linked together via their meaning.

Semantic fields can help to create extended metaphors.

Murakami uses a semantic field of biology in the opening of "After Dark." Murakami uses the semantic field of biology to characterise the city as a living organism via extended metaphor and Murakami emphasises the dynamic interconnected nature of the city.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

Thank you so much for all the hard work you've put in and I hope to see you in another lesson soon.