Language and stylistic devices

Plain language

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry uses vivid and simple language in his novella The Little Prince. The sentence structure as well as the choice of words are kept in an easily understandable style. The language is oriented towards childlike simplicity and directness. 

The choice of words is simple and consists mainly of elementary basic words. We do not find any technical words that could, for example, relate to the repair of the airplane . Here, too, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry works with simple terms, such as "hammer," "bolt," "screws," and so on.

Saint-Exupéry writes in short and easily understandable main sentences, such as: "For I do not want any one to read my book carelessly." (14%) or "To forget a friend is sad" (14%). Thus, the syntax is clear and uncluttered. This makes the text seem simple and easy to understand.

Poetic language

Although Antoine de Saint-Exupéry uses simple language, we notice several examples of a poetic style. This is achieved, for example, through similes and metaphors uses. For example, the author describes the mountains as rocky peaks as sharp as needles (66%). Furthermore, the little prince compares adults who think they are serious people to mushrooms through the use of the following metaphor: "But he is not a man--he is a mushroom!" (24%).

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry uses figurative language in several places. For example, he describes cooking breakfast on a volcano: "He possessed two active volcanoes; and they were very convenient for heating his breakfast in the morning" (31%) or plucking the stars: "If I owned a flower, I could pluck that flower and take it away with me. But you cannot pluck the stars from heaven ..." (47%). 

The author pays a lot of attention to the words he chooses. They may seem simple on the outside, but they carry a deep meaning. This is particularly evident in the episode with the well that the little prince and the pilot discover together: "This water was indeed a different thing from ordinary nourishment. Its sweetness was born of the walk under the stars, the song of the pulley, the effort of my arms. It was good for the heart, like a present." (85%).

Poetic language plays a crucial role in the work. It reflects the diverse imagination of the children. 

Stylistic devices

Repetitions

One of the most important stylistic devices in the novella The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is repetition. This means that a word or a sentence is mentioned several times. There can also be repetitions of content. Repetition has a reinforcing effect on the reader. The reader recognizes something and remembers it better.

The use of repetition becomes particularly clear in the questions or requests that the little prince asks or makes. The l...