Literary Devices
What literary device is being used?
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
Personification
A character continues practicing for months even after repeated failure.
What theme is most connected to this situation?
Perseverance leads to growth.
"your going to love this movie."
You’re going to love this movie.
Which title should be italicized?
Poem
Short Story
Novel
Novel, also known as book.
Longer works like novels are italicized in MLA format.
*Test taking strategy*
What should you do first on multiple-choice reading questions?
Eliminate obviously wrong answers first.
“Her smile was sunshine.”
What literary device is this?
Metaphor
“She finally spoke up after years of staying silent.”
What theme is best developed by this sentence?
Finding your voice takes courage.
Identify BOTH mistakes:
Her and me was sitting near the stage.
She and I
were
Which in-text citation is correct?
(Smith page 4)
(Smith 4)
(Smith, pg. 4)
(Smith 4)
MLA uses the author’s last name and page number only.
A student writes:
“The quote is important because it shows friendship.”
What is missing from this response?
Specific explanation/details.
- The response is too general and does not explain HOW the quote develops friendship or WHY its significant.
“I’ve told you a million times.”
Which literary device is being used?
Hyperbole
“After moving to a new city, Malik spent weeks eating lunch alone before finally introducing himself to another student.”
What central idea is most developed by this situation?
Taking risks can lead to connection and growth.
Revise the sentence to remove the run-on:
The rain finally stopped everyone rushed outside immediately.
The rain finally stopped, and everyone rushed outside immediately.
Which citation correctly formats a website article?
Carter, Elise. “Why Sleep Matters.” Health Weekly, 12 Jan. 2025, www.healthweekly.com/sleep.
Elise Carter “Why Sleep Matters” Health Weekly 2025
“Why Sleep Matters.” Elise Carter. Health Weekly
Carter, Elise. “Why Sleep Matters.” Health Weekly, 12 Jan. 2025, www.healthweekly.com/sleep.
- MLA citations require proper order, punctuation, italics, and a URL.
After adding evidence to a paragraph, what should come next?
Explanation or analysis.
The teacher stated, "this classroom is a zoo."
Which literary device did the author use?
Metaphor
“Even after earning the promotion he had worked toward for years, Daniel realized he barely recognized the people sitting around his dinner table.”
What theme is most developed by this detail?
The detail shows Daniel achieved professional success but sacrificed personal connections along the way.
Effectively revise this sentence:
The restaurant was bad and the food was cold and the service was slow.
Best example: The restaurant disappointed customers because the food arrived cold and the service was extremely slow.
What is wrong with this citation?
Nguyen, Tara “Social Media and Teens” Student Voice 2024
The citation is missing commas, periods, quotation marks formatting, and italics.
A student writes:
“This quote shows the character is sad.”
Why is this analysis weak?
The response is too vague and does not explain WHY the character feels sad or how the evidence supports the claim.
Ex: This quote reveals that the character feels defeated after he spent many late nights studying, and yet he still failed.
“Every morning, Lena walks past the cracked basketball court where weeds pushed through the pavement and the nets hang in pieces.”
How does the setting function symbolically, and what might it reveal about Lena’s life or community?
The damaged basketball court symbolizes neglect, loss, or missed opportunities. The broken condition of the court may reflect struggles within Lena’s community or suggest that something once important has been abandoned over time.
“At the reunion, Carla laughed along with everyone else as old stories were retold, but later she sat alone staring at photos from years earlier, wondering when her life had started to feel unfamiliar.”
How does the passage develop the idea that people can feel disconnected from their own lives?
The contrast between Carla laughing socially and later sitting alone reveals that her happiness is only temporary or outwardly performed. The photos symbolize reflection and change, emphasizing that Carla feels emotionally disconnected and uncertain about how her life has changed over time.
“Even though Tiana practiced her speech every night, but she still felt nervous before presenting.”
How should the sentence be corrected?
Even though Tiana practiced her speech every night, she still felt nervous before presenting.
or
Tiana practiced her speech every night, but she still felt nervous before presenting.
Flores, Elena. “The Pressure to Succeed.” Student Perspective, Student Perspective Organization, 18 March 2025, www.studentperspective.org/succeed.
Why are quotation marks used for the article title while the website name is italicized?
Quotation marks are used for shorter works like articles, while italics are used for larger containers such as websites, books, or magazines.
A student is analyzing a scene where two characters are arguing during a violent storm. Throughout the scene, the author repeatedly describes thunder shaking the house, heavy rain hitting the windows, and lightning flashing across the sky.
The student wrote:
“The author uses imagery when describing the storm. The storm is loud and dark. The storm happens while the characters argue.”
How could this student better explain the use of imagery and improve the strength of the literary analysis?
The response should explain HOW the imagery contributes to the mood or conflict.
Ex: The author's uses the "storm imagery" to emphasize the tension between the characters and reflect the emotional conflict.
- Strong literary analysis connects literary devices to meaning, mood, conflict, or theme instead of only describing what happens in the text.