“To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision. Few, if any, survive their teens. Most surrender to the vague but murderous pressure of adult conformity. It becomes easier to die and avoid conflict than to maintain a constant battle with the superior forces of maturity.” 

This excerpt is from Maya Angelou’s book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and it used a play with words along with other forms of style. When Angelou uses the metaphor tightrope of youthful unknowing, she is referring to the unknown dangers of innocent minded actions. Angelou also uses a figure of speech when she says few survive their teens; it is not meant literally. The words in the paragraph speak to the reader. They also convey meaning by sound and descriptive detail. For example, Angelou says excruciating beauty and murderous pressure. She uses lively and original writing techniques for most of her poems. Angelou did an excellent job in showcasing her writing style for this book.

A writing mistake I came across recently was found on an advertisement at the mall. The ad breaks the rule about incomplete comparisons. It was for a Halloween costume of a firefighter.

The ad read: Your fiery hotness is sure to leave everyone sweating when you have our Hot Sexy Firefighter costume. You’ll look hotter and sexier in the flirty crop top fit.

The advertisement failed to mention what other costumes were being compared. It could have been comparing a police officer, nurse, or sailor costume. The ad should have used a comparative adjective with at least two elements to compare in order to correct the grammar mistake.