R.1.1 Literary Elements
Which element is most important for understanding the central message or lesson in a literary text?
A. Theme
A coming-of-age story typically explores a young character’s transition from childhood to adulthood. Which of the following moments best represents that transition?
A. A character chooses to ignore their responsibilities and stay home.
B. A character realizes their parents aren’t perfect and makes an independent decision.
C. A character reminisces about childhood toys.
D. A character spends a day playing with friends at the park.
B. A character realizes their parents aren’t perfect and makes an independent decision.
What does ambiguity mean?
A word or phrase having two meanings, and we the reader are unsure which the author intends for us to interpret it as.
Her laughter was a sparkling river, chasing away the gray clouds.
Which figurative device is used, and how does it influence the mood?
A. Personification; a mysterious and eerie mood.
B. Meiosis; a calm and understated mood.
C. Onomatopoeia; a tense and anxious mood.
D. Metaphor; a joyful and uplifting mood.
D. Metaphor; a joyful and uplifting mood.
A) Difficult to notice B) Easy to feel or sense C) Unrelated to the situation D) Quickly forgotten
B) Easy to feel or sense
When a story is told from a first-person point of view, what effect does this have on the narrative?
In a story where a teen argues with their parents about attending college, what conflicting perspectives might the author be representing?
A. Tradition vs. independence
B. Wealth vs. poverty
C. Adventure vs. safety
D. Hope vs. despair
A. Tradition vs. independence
A poet describes a storm “breaking open the heart of the sky.” This line is ambiguous because —
A. it can describe both a literal storm and an emotional outburst
B. it relies on a strict meter that distracts from meaning
C. it uses an outdated metaphor no longer understood
D. it clearly states the speaker’s exact emotions
A. it can describe both a literal storm and an emotional outburst
The night wrapped its cold arms around the town.
What type of figurative language is used, and how does it affect the mood?
A. Personification; it creates a mood of tension and unease.
B. Simile; it creates a cheerful and calm mood.
C. Alliteration; it makes the town sound musical and bright.
D. Hyperbole; it exaggerates the warmth of the night.
A. Personification; it creates a mood of tension and unease.
a) The benevolent teacher donated her time to help students after school. b) The benevolent storm destroyed several houses. c) The benevolent dog barked loudly at strangers. d) The benevolent movie made everyone laugh.
a) The benevolent teacher donated her time to help students after school.
How can the development of conflict between characters add layers of meaning to a story’s plot?
How does using first-person narration strengthen the theme of coming of age?
A. It hides the narrator’s emotions from the reader.
B. It allows readers to directly experience the narrator’s personal growth.
C. It limits the story to external actions only.
D. It creates an objective, unbiased view of maturity.
B. It allows readers to directly experience the narrator’s personal growth.
What's ambiguous about this statement:
“I watched the man with the telescope.”
Did I have the telescope or did the man have the telescope?
Something to think about: How does this change the tone?
"The fading fog folded faintly over the fields, forcing footsteps forward."
Which figurative device is used, and how does it shape the mood?
A. Personification; it makes the fog seem threatening and alive.
B. Alliteration; it creates a quiet, tense, and mysterious mood.
C. Onomatopoeia; it emphasizes the sound of footsteps.
D. Hyperbole; it exaggerates the fog’s movement for dramatic effect.
B. Alliteration; it creates a quiet, tense, and mysterious mood.
a) Calm and logical arguments b) Passionate and intense language c) Quiet and reserved statements d) Scientific and factual explanations
b) Passionate and intense language
Name one universal theme of Macbeth. Start your sentence with "A theme of Macbeth is...". Defend your answer.
Answers will vary. Up to Mrs. R's judgement.
Why might an author include multiple perspectives in a coming-of-age/conflicting perspectives story?
A. To confuse the reader about the main character’s beliefs
B. To make the story less personal and more factual
C. To show how different experiences shape moral understanding
D. To reduce emotional impact and focus on plot
C. To show how different experiences shape moral understanding
The clock hums softly in the hall,
Counting secrets none recall.
Time forgets, yet still it knows,
The weight of every hour that goes.
Question:
Which statement best explains how the poem creates multiple layers of meaning?
A. The poet describes time in purely mechanical terms.
B. The poem’s rhythm imitates the ticking of a clock.
C. The setting of the hall reflects domestic comfort.
D. Time symbolizes both memory and loss, suggesting that forgetting can still leave a mark.
D. Time symbolizes both memory and loss, suggesting that forgetting can still leave a mark.
I’ve been waiting in this line for a century, and I still haven’t moved an inch.
Which figurative device is being used, and how does it shape the mood?
A. Hyperbole; it creates a mood of frustration and impatience.
B. Meiosis (understatement); it downplays the length of time in line.
C. Personification; it makes the line seem alive and slow-moving.
D. Metaphor; it compares waiting to a literal century without exaggeration.
A. Hyperbole; it creates a mood of frustration and impatience.
Read the lines:
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;
Select the word that comes from the Old English root ræc, meaning “something that stretches or extends.”
Captain
fearful
weathered
rack
Rack