Figurative Language
Identify the figurative device: "Time is a thief that steals our days."
Metaphor (time compared to a thief).
What is direct characterization? Give a one-sentence example.
Direct: author states traits (e.g., "John was generous.").
Define ethos. Give a classroom-appropriate example of its use in a speech.
Ethos: credibility (e.g., teacher cites research).
Define "tone" in literature. How does it differ from mood?
Tone = author's attitude; differs from mood (reader's feeling).
Define "mood" in literature and name two elements that help establish it.
Mood = atmosphere; set by setting, diction, imagery.
Explain how a simile differs from a metaphor and provide an original example of each.
Simile uses "like" or "as"; metaphor states direct comparison. Example simile: "Her smile was like sunrise." Metaphor: "Her smile was sunrise."
What is indirect characterization? List two methods authors use to reveal a character indirectly.
Indirect: speech, actions, thoughts, appearance, other characters' reactions.
Define pathos and explain why it is powerful in persuasive writing.
Pathos: emotional appeal (evokes sympathy).
Identify the tone in this sentence: "He announced the results with a triumphant grin and a mocking bow."
Tone = mocking or triumphant.
Identify the mood created by: "Fog clung to the alleyways as distant bells tolled."
Mood = eerie or ominous.
Read the line: "The thunder grumbled like an old man." Identify the device and explain its effect on the passage's imagery
Simile; creates vivid, relatable sound image.
Read this brief excerpt: "She left her umbrella at the café three times this month and still insisted the weather loved her." Describe what this suggests about the character using indirect characterization.
Suggests optimism or denial; shows habits and attitude via actions.
Define logos. Identify a clear example of logos in an editorial (describe the kind of evidence you would expect).
Logos: logical evidence (statistics, facts).
Describe one technique writers use to create tone and give an example sentence showing that technique.
Technique: diction (e.g., formal word choice creates serious tone). Example: "The committee deliberated with solemn gravity."
Explain how diction and setting combine to create mood; give a brief two-sentence example.
Diction + setting example: "Rain-slick streets" + "dim streetlights" = gloomy mood.
Define personification and analyze how personification can shape a reader's understanding of a nonhuman element in a poem. Provide a short example.
Personification; gives human traits to nonhuman object to create connection (example: "The wind whispered secrets").
Explain round vs. flat characters and identify which type typically undergoes change over the course of a story.
Round = complex and changeable; flat = simple and unchanging. Round characters typically change.
A speaker uses a credible source, shares a moving personal story, and shows statistical evidence. Label each tactic with the correct appeal (ethos, pathos, logos).
Logos: logical evidence (statistics, facts).
What is the tone of your lit. circle book?
[answers vary - Mrs. Samuel will approve]
What is the mood of Night?
[answers will vary - Mrs. Samuel will approve]
Identify the literary device used when an author deliberately understates a situation (e.g., saying "It's just a scratch" about serious damage). Name the device and explain how it can create irony or tone.
Understatement; can create irony, minimize for effect
Analyze how a foil character functions. Provide a concise example of two contrasting characters and how the contrast highlights a theme.
Foil contrasts protagonists to highlight qualities (e.g., Hamlet and Laertes highlight indecision vs. action).
Given a short persuasive claim (e.g., "School start times should be later"), outline a balanced argument that uses all three appeals once each.
Example: Ethos—quote a sleep researcher; Pathos—student testimony about fatigue; Logos—study data on academic improvement with later start times.
Explain how shifts in tone within a text can affect reader interpretation, and give an example of a possible shift (e.g., playful to somber).
Shift can reframe meaning; e.g., lighthearted to grave increases perceived stakes.
Compare and contrast mood and tone using examples where tone is ironic but mood is tense.
Tone vs. mood: tone is speaker's attitude; mood is effect on reader. Example: ironic tone with tense mood occurs when narrator downplays danger but description builds dread.