Legends

Legends are an important part of literature. People still have an interest in them,
although it is usually apparent that the tales are not always true. Legends are important because
they provide children with a foundation on which they can better enhance their understanding of
literature (Stumpf 25). Legends contain stylistic devices and figures of speech, such as
personification. Thus, children enhance their understanding of these devices by reading about
different legends. For example, the legend of King Arthur uses devices such as hyperbole.
Merlin transformed Uther into an exact likeness of Gorlois. This is an exaggeration as people
know that realistically, such a thing cannot happen. However, it is a good way of teaching about
hyperbole and how they are used.
Legends also have high scintillating power and have the potential to keep the listener
or reader deeply engaged while at the same time invoking their imagination. Legends sometimes
involve extraordinary stories about people whose actions were heroic and thus had a mark in
history (Zanzotto and Anthony 40). Such events invoke the imagination of the listener and may
inspire them to push their limits. For instance, the legend of King Arthur introduces King Uther,
who falls in love with Ygerma, but unfortunately, she is married. He pushes his limits and even
tries impersonating someone else to fulfill his desires. While the audience may not necessarily
fall in love with married women, they may be inspired to push their limits.

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Overall, legends provide children with a unique opportunity to consume and interact
with traditional literature. Through legends, children inherit key aspects of their culture that they
also pass down to generations. Legends are thus a form of literary heritage. While they may not
always be true, people still listen and read them because of the value they add to literary
scholars.

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Works Cited

Stumpf, Chris-Anne. An examination of the roles of contemporary legends in literature. Diss.
Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2006.
Zanzotto, Andrea, and Anthony Barnett. “Legends.” World Literature Today 85.4 (2011): 38-38.