Colorful Rag Unfurled

Term: Flag
Method: Alliteration/Metaphor/Rhyme

About twenty years ago, Neil Peart penned the phrase “colorful rag unfurled” for a lyric. There is much to love about the passage, set as it is in a song that condemns patriotism, jingoism and xenophobia. Obviously, the phrase refers to flag. But it does so in four different ways which help to define the word. Set in its context, the object is a reflection of patriotism, thus helping to define the term. Furthermore, rag rhymes with flag thus giving us a phonetic aspect of the definition. Additionally, rag is a metaphor for flag, each being a piece of fabric bearing colors and patterns. But rag, of course, has a negative connotation thus further defining flag. And the alliteration in this phrase is brilliant. It is not the typical and generic kind like "floating, fleeing fling" but rather a more subtle and more powerful because more compact alliteration. See how the letters f and l appear before and after rag “-----f-l rag –-f—-l—-” Brilliant. Thus the phonetic pronunciation of flag is referred to again. And now we know how it sounds and what it means.