A Study of Literary Devices used in the Posts on Instagram

Reading plays an important role in human life. Good literature offers food for the soul. A few years back, the relaxed life style of people allowed them to read a lot in their free time. But, the hectic pace of today’s 24-hour lifestyle does not allow people to make time for reading books. So, the question arises how the purpose of ‘brain food’ rather ‘life food’, which was previously served by books is now served. The answer may lie in the increasing number of people active on social media. This research paper deals with the study of posts shared on Instagram. These posts are studied linguistically and variations of normal forms of language are found. Various techniques or ways of the presentation of matter in these posts is also one of the topics of study. The researcher has tried to explore how oxymoron, pun, repetition, wordplay, metaphors etc. are used to create special effects in the posts. Different types of posts are studied in order to study different factors. With the help of this study, the researcher has tried to find out whether these posts are serving the purpose of literature to some extent in human life. Keywords— Instagram, Language, Literary, Pun, Wordplay.


INTRODUCTION
Literature is universal to all people, all places, and all times. Literature knows no barriers, neither culture, age, gender, nor religion. It delights the mind, and the soul. It satisfies our craving for beauty and knowledge through the power of its language. But, literature conveys more than mere pleasure. It also communicates meaning. Good literature offers food for the soul. It is valued for what it reveals about our inner selves and outer lives. It interprets our hidden emotions and gives them a voice.
Literature has always played an important role in human life. One's life is very short and so one cannot have all types of experiences in it. But, literature helps one to know a lot of things in this short time. As a result, literature is not something special or set apart from our daily lives. Rather, it is an integral part of everyone.
A few years back, people used to lead a relaxed life. They had enough time to read books. They could enjoy literature fully. But, in the present time, the life has become very fast. The hectic pace of today's 24-hour lifestyle does not allow one to make time for reading books. People are pulling back-to-back shifts in the I.C.U. or commuting by bus to three minimum wage jobs. They are not just busy, but tired, exhausted, dead on their feet. The Marathi saying 'Wachal tar Wachal' needs to be read and meant the other way round in this condition. Now, the question arises, how the purpose of 'brain food' rather 'life food', which was previously served by books, is now served. The answer may lie in the increasing number of people active on social media; reading, sharing the verbal posts on it. This research paper deals with the study of such popular posts on Instagram and the role of language used in them. It includes the study of variations of normal forms of language and the ways of presenting matter in these posts; which make them popular and successful. With the help of this study, the researcher has tried to find out whether these posts are serving the purpose of literature to some extent in human life.

II. AIM
To study the variations of normal forms of language and various ways of presenting matter in the posts on Instagram, which make them popular. 1) To collect posts from Instagram.
2) To study these posts linguistically and find out variations of normal forms of language.
3) To find out various techniques or ways of the presentation of matter in these post and categorising the posts accordingly.

4)
To study this variation and the factors responsible for it with the help of examples.

5)
To analyze the data and draw conclusion.

IV. DATA & ANALYSIS:
Data is collected from the posts shared on Instagram.
Various types of posts are collected in order to find and study different features.

Factors responsible for variation in normal form of language used in posts on Instagram:
4.1.1. Oxymoron: Fig.1

: Examples of Instagram posts showing Oxymoron
Two opposite ideas in the same sentence (Oxymoron) -An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses an ostensible self-contradiction to illustrate a rhetorical point or to reveal a paradox. ("Oxymoron," 2021). Oxymoron is used to create some sort of drama for the reader or listener, and sometimes they are used to make the person stop and think, whether it is to laugh or to ponder.E.g. 'Sometimes it is better to lose to get a taste of what it means to win.' In this example, two contradictory ideas i.e. losing and winning are used in the same sentence. Through the use of Oxymoron, a positive energy is released by which motivation is served. The positive attitude towards failure is encouraged through this.  ISSN: 2456-7620  https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.61.54 418

Fig.5: Examples of Instagram posts showing Metaphor
Metaphors -Some posts use metaphors to present their content effectively. In a metaphor, a word or expression that in literal usage denotes one kind of thing is applied to a distinctly different kind of thing, without asserting a comparison. These metaphorical sayings often have some hidden meanings apart from the superficial meanings.
E.g.'The future is a riddle only time can solve', here, future is called a riddle, attributing all the qualities of a riddle to it. This makes the concept of future clearer.
More examples: a) The world is a book and those who don't travel only read one page.
b) Sometimes you need to burn bridges to stop yourself from crossing them again. c) A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it's built for. d) Stop planting flowers in people's yards who aren't going to water them. e) We can't direct the wind but we can adjust the sails. Fig.6

: Examples of Instagram posts showing Questions
Questions -In some of the posts, only one question is asked. The question is such, which one needs to ask to oneself. One needs to find out the answers oneself. These questions start the thinking process and also make people realize what's happening in their lives. They may also show direction of their life to them.  3) The main reason for the popularity of posts is their brevity and catchiness. They have maximum effect on human mind in minimum words. The various forms or structures of representation of these posts are effective in this matter. E.g. short conversation, a dialogue, 3 lines-1 thought, 6 words story, etc. 4) The short nature of these posts makes them convenient for reading in this fast life of today. They can also be considered miniature forms of literature due to their brevity. 5) Overall, it can be said that these posts on social media are serving the purpose of 'brain food' or rather 'life food' in today's life in some or the other way to some extent. Still, they can not replace books in any way, but these posts can be considered to be an 'adjustment' in the current situation.