Literary Elements
“I was dubious with the decision of the court. It was rendered in under two hours.” What does the word dubious mean?
Doubtful
Michelle Obama says a country can’t succeed while limiting women. What is the theme?
Equality
“There's a point, around the age of twenty, when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life, or to make a virtue of your peculiarities.” What is the perspective?
Don't follow the crow; embrace individuality
The moon rested like a silver coin in the sky.” What does this simile suggest?
The moon is bright and round
“This place feels like Wonderland—nothing makes sense.” Which figurative language device is being used here?
Allusion
Black-and-white tents under a gray sky creates what mood?
Mysterious/Dreamlike
A narrator feels childhood slipping away. What is the theme?
A narrator says, “Everyone else rushed ahead, but I preferred to stay back and watch.” What perspective does this reveal about the narrator?
Be cautious and observant
“Her smile was a candle in the darkness.” What figurative language is used?
Metaphor
A biography says a leader “carried the weight of a nation.” What figurative device is used?
Metaphor
A woman searching for a killer in the dark. What’s the tone?
Tense
“We cannot control the way people interpret our ideas or thoughts, but we can control the words and tones we choose to convey them. . . . Never underestimate the power of a single word, and never recklessly throw around words.”
Importance of expression
“Mom thinks moving will be a fresh start. I think it will ruin everything.” What is the conflict in perspective?
One is positive and one is negative
A poem describes time as “a thief crawling through my memories.” What tone is created?
Regretful
Two texts describe a storm: one says “the wind screamed,” the other says “the wind increased to 50 mph.” What difference in style is shown?
Figurative vs literal
A reviewer praises food but found lipstick on glass and a bug in soup. What is the author's purpose?
To persuade readers not to eat there
“As you know, there are several classes of truth. There are the truths that pour out on confessional blogs and YouTube channels. There are the supposed truths exposed in gossip magazines and on reality television, which everyone knows are just lies in truth clothing. Then there are the truths that show themselves to you alone, in the darkness of night.”
illusion vs reality
The narrator describes their rival as “impossible” but gives no evidence. What does this suggest about the narrator’s perspective?
Narrator is biased or unreliable
A speaker writes, “I poured my anger into the ocean and waited for the tide.” What deeper meaning is suggested?
Letting emotions go
A poem mentions “a crown no one asked to wear.” What symbolic meaning fits best?
Unwanted responsibility
"He trudged home after another long shift.” What does trudged suggest?
Walked tiredly
“My scars remind me that I did indeed survive my deepest wounds. That in itself is an accomplishment. And they bring to mind something else, too. They remind me that the damage life has inflicted on me has, in many places, left me stronger and more resilient.”
Past not impacting present
A character insists they are “doing the right thing,” while other characters express fear and confusion. What does this contrast show?
Character sees their actions as moral, while others view them as dangerous
A poet compares silence to “a heavy blanket over the room.” What does this reveal?
Silence is uncomfortable
“Life is a highway that takes us through green pastures, vast deserts, and rocky mountains. Sometimes your car breaks down or you run out of gas, and sometimes you get lost. Friends are the roadmaps that help you get where you're going.” This poem is an example of what?
Extended metaphor