Commentary

In my obituary, I used the play on words 'a-bit-dreary' to indicate to the reader that the piece was going to be quite humorous and informal. This set the tone of the discourse before the reader had even read the obituary. I used the quotation from Jonathon Swift's poem 'A Satirical Elegy...'to also suggest to the reader that the piece was going to be satirical and it wasn't supposed to be taken too seriously. For the first paragraph I used factual information such as Donald Trump's birthplace and early life experiences to conform to the genre conventions of an obituary and maintain a basic level of formality, however I did use sarcastic language when referencing to the war and when quoting Donald himself ('a small loan of a million dollars') so that my personal critical view of Trump was communicated but it was not done in a way that turned it into an opinion piece rather than an obituary.


I used the unconventional simile of the dog marking his territory to spark connotations of uncleanliness, animalistic tendencies and possessiveness for the reader. The lexical choice of the adverb 'even' was used to emphasise the sarcastic tone of the piece, and the direct address of 'you' connected with the reader as it assumes that the reader has the same views as me, the writer. I also attempted to use a form of metalanguage as I mentioned the symbolism of Donald Trump owning a series of beauty pageants. I hoped that this would be thought-provoking as it causes the reader to think deeper about the meaning of this, but it could also be interpreted as darkly humorous by some readers, depending on their view of Donald Trump.


In my eulogy, I had to change the mood of the writing drastically as the two pieces were going to be so different. I began the piece by using the fact of the date, similar to in the obituary piece, to detach myself slightly from the writing and give a sense of respectful formality. I used the hyperbole of 'unimaginable strength' to stress to the reader how strongly I felt about the person being written about. This is then reiterated in the adverb 'cruelly' as it has connotations of something inhumane: something so heart-breaking that it doesn't seem right or ethical. I used the informal phrase 'to be honest' to show awareness of the eulogy needing to be read out in front of a group of people both the writer and the person being written about had connections with, rather than an obituary in a newspaper for anyone to see. This is then emphasised with the direct address of the pronoun 'you' which involves the listener in the piece and makes the eulogy feel more accessible and personal.


 To touch on an anecdotal segment, I referenced Daryl being the 'little spoon' which would have been a small amount of light, humorous relief for the listeners who would most definitely be in need of it.
I also used the metaphor of unconditional love being 'locked up' inside him to give the piece a more powerful edge, as well as hint to the personality of the person being written about, as someone quite defensive and 'tough'. This contrasts with the anecdotal phase of the 'little spoon' and therefore shows dimensions to Daryl's personality. In terms of phonology, I used the plosive, alliterative sounds of 'powerful and protected' to emphasise the suggested role of Daryl within the group as someone who is constantly on guard, both literally and figuratively. I hoped that the ending of the eulogy would leave a bittersweet feeling for the listener as it mentions some things personal to Daryl: his motorbike and his crossbows.

Eulogy

On Friday 13th October, the world lost an incredible human being. Daryl Dixon brought unimaginable strength and courage to our group and it still amazes me to say that he was my partner. He was my best friend and my soulmate, so for him to be taken so cruelly from this messed up planet continues to break my heart everyday. To be honest, when I first met Daryl, I thought he hated me. His gruff and serious persona could be quite intimidating as you can probably remember, but behind the mask of aggression and fearlessness there was a sweet, loving, generous man who was the little spoon on more than one occasion.


I am so lucky to have experienced the unconditional love he had kept locked up inside him for so long and I will never forget how much he meant to me. Daryl was part of our group for six years and he was a huge part of what made this group so powerful and protected. Although he did go through some tough times, his unwavering bravery rarely faltered and he was always the one that inspired the best in those around him and encouraged them to reach their full potential. The loss of such a beautiful soul will never cease to be felt and I hope that wherever he is, he has been reunited with the love of his life (his motorbike) and an endless supply of crossbows and beer.

A-bit-dreary for Donald Trump

The great words of Jonathon Swift spring to mind when I write that Donald J. Trump has been killed: 'The world he cumber'd long enough.'
On June 14th 1946, just a year after the war ended (so clearly God didn't think we had suffered enough), Donald Trump was born in Queens, New York City. He attended Fordham University as well as the School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, but Trump did have to fight for a place there, having only been given 'a small loan of a million dollars' from his real estate developer father, Fred Trump.


Trump married his first wife, Czech model Ivana Zelníčková on April 7, 1977. They had three children: Donald Jr, Eric and daughter Ivanka who he famously told the world he would happily date if they were not related. He also had a daughter, Tiffany with Marla Maples and a son with Melania Knauss, Barron Trump.


Much like a dog marking his territory, Trump liked to put his name everywhere: The Trump Tower, for instance, the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump International Golf Links, Ireland. He even had his own line of coffee, fragrance, water and a board game, just in case you wanted to showcase to the world your racism, sexism and other views originating from the Dark Ages. Let's not forget his part-ownership of a series of beauty pageants, symbolising just beautifully his desire to control and possess women.

Although Trump did have considerable success with his many businesses, projects and his key role in The Apprentice USA, he had more recently charged into the limelight following his decision to run for President in 2016. His views were controversial to say the least, calling for Muslims to be banned from entering the US, saying that global warming is a governmentally-constructed myth and most Mexicans are drug dealers and rapists.

I do offer my condolences to his family and friends during this very difficult time. He was a very influential person in the world of business and has certainly made an impact on American politics. I also think it's fair to say that Donald Trump will never be forgotten.