--- title: "“Fear” by James B. Henderson" description: "The dirty sweat (epithet) poured from his face and dripped from his (repetition) nose. It stood out ..." author: "dariya2406" published: "2013-05-06T04:13:37+00:00" modified: "2013-05-06T04:13:37+00:00" locale: "ru" canonical_url: "https://yvision.kz/post/fear-by-james-b-henderson-351471" markdown_url: "https://yvision.kz/post/fear-by-james-b-henderson-351471/markdown" site_name: "Yvision.kz" --- # “Fear” by James B. Henderson > The dirty sweat (epithet) poured from his face and dripped from his (repetition) nose. It stood out ... The **dirty sweat** **(epithet)** poured from **his** face and dripped from **his (repetition) **nose. It stood out **like small black grapes** on the **b**ent **b**are **b**ack **(****alliteration****)** and along **his ribs**** ****(simile)**. There was a squelching in his boots where the coal dust mixed with the perspiration. The powerful arms **and** knee drove the shovel deep into the heap **and** **(polysyndeton)** the biceps bulged as he tossed the coal into the skip. On the opposite side his mate kept pace with him, **sh**ovel for **sh**ovel **(****alliteration, repetition****)**, both lights bobbing **up and down** alternately, **up and down** **(repetition)**, **like parts of a machine (simile)**. As each head rose with the lift of the shovel the slender beam of light from the lamp shot into the haze of dust hanging over the skip, become diffused and lost. Outside the narrow shafts of light was the **impenetrable darkness (epithet)**. The light dropped low, the shovel scraped along the floor, the light rose and the coal fell into the skip. There was a **rhythmic beat (epithet)** linking **mate** to **mate** (**repetition****)**. The sounds of the shovel and the falling of coal were hemmed in by the **d**eep **d**arkness **(****alliteration****)**. It stood close up to them, **like resilient folds of black velvet (simile)**. The blackness retreated at each puny advance of the lamp, but flowed back immediately to bandage the thrust **m**ark **m**ade **(****alliteration****)**** **by the rapier of light. It was a thousand times darker **th**an **th**e **(****alliteration****)**** **darkest night; (**asyndeton “and” is omitted)** not merely the absence of light but a **s**eeping **s**omething **(****alliteration****)**** **that penetrated everywhere and covered everything. Something tangible. And Eric was afraid. **Afraid** for the first time in the twelve months he had worked “on the coal” as a contract miner **(inversion).** The sweat that gushed from every pour was not only the measure of the weight of the shovel and the inadequate air flow, but, more **th**an **th**at **(alliteration)**, it was the outpouring of the fear that had been gnawing at his brain and knotting in his plexus for a long month past. Eric and George were pinpoints of light on a blackened stage; performers without an audience (**asyndeton “and” is omitted)**. A thousand feet above, the blazing sun wilted the leaves of the stunted box trees where the pee-wees lay cooling in the mud at the horse trough. The skip filled, George stood erect. “She’ll do,” and cocked his ear to listen to the roof. Eric **s**traightened **s**lowly **(alliteration)**, **listening** as he did so, **listening** not with ears alone but with his whole body. **Listening** **(repetition****) **with his finger tips. A Low sound like a gentle protesting sigh grew to a moan **and** built **up** **and** **up** **and** **(polysyndeton)** **up (polysyndeton, repetition****)**** ** till it thundered out, the groans of a monster in agony. The knot in Eric’s stomach tightened and his throat contracted as he crouched instinctively. He wanted to run, to run screaming, to get miles away from i**t**, **t**o **(alliteration) **get into the light of day. **Wondrous, beautiful sun (epithet)**. The awful groaning and the shroud of darkness were pressing in on **him**, squeezing **him **(**repetition****)**** ** **,** making it hard to breathe. But the **bravery of cowardice (oxymoron)** **h**eld **h**im silent and **h**obbled **h**is feet as it had done **f**or **f**our **f**earsome **(alliteration) **weeks. George looked intently at the roof. “While she’s talking to us, we **know** what she’s doing,” he said in a loud whisper. “No danger yet awhile. When she’s silent **you never know, you never know** **(repetition****)****. ** ” His calm broke. “**To hell** with stripping pillars anyway, **to hell** **(repetition****)**** **with it! Gnawing away support that’s protecting you!” As the groaning died away to a low grinding, a new terror gripped the younger man. He didn’t want it to stop **“talking”, talking** **(repetition****)**** **to George who could understand it. It didn’t talk to ***him *(italics)**, it **terrified him** and yet the silence **terrified him** even more **(repetition****)****.** He bent his back and pushed the full skip along the rails into the darkness. Two specks now shone in the darkness, one moving rapidly away from the groan that was turning to silence. A vivid shrieking silence! The near rumble of the skip blotted out all other noises so that he couldn’t tell if the roof still talked or not. He wanted **to stop**, **to stop** **(repetition****)**** **and listen. But outside lay safety, the horsedriver **and** **r**ope **r**unner **(alliteration) **to talk with, **and** **(polysyndeton** ) the friendly electric light of the winch in the distance. … --- Source: [https://yvision.kz/post/fear-by-james-b-henderson-351471](https://yvision.kz/post/fear-by-james-b-henderson-351471)