In Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the most common poetic device I have found used is metaphor. Metaphor is a comparison between to otherwise unrelated things. In this book, metaphors are common because it is a story that can be interpreted in different ways. It can be taken completely literally or it can be taken metaphorically by learning the message behind the words. In the excerpt I chose, Pi (the main character) is describing how his boat, the Tsimstum, was so strong it was "indifferent to its surroundings." He uses a metaphor to describe the surroundings, as well as another to describe the boat.
"For days the ship had pushed on, bullishly indifferent to its surroundings. The son shone, rain fell, winds blew, currents flowed, the sea built up hills, the sea dug up valleys-- The Tsimstum did not care. It moved with the slow, massive confidence of a continent." (Martel 110)
There is more than one metaphor used in this excerpt. "the sea built up hills, the sea dug up valleys" is using metaphor to describe the rough waves of the ocean. Instead of just saying "It was very wavy", the author chose to use a metaphor to project the almost exaggerated image into the reader's mind. The second metaphor, is "The Tsimstum did not care. It moved with a slow, massive confidence of a continent." This really describes the strength of the Tsimstum. It reminds me of the story of the Titanic. The boat was so massive and strong yet it sunk, like the Tsimstum will. I think this a is a really great metaphor because it is comparing the boat to something so massive and unfazed by the dangers of the ocean. It might create more surprise and shock when the reader learns that it sinks.
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