Literary & Rhetorical Terms
Define diction and give one example of how a writer’s diction affects tone.
a writer/speaker’s choice of words. Example: formal diction creates a serious tone.
What type of creature is the scarlet ibis in the story?
Bird (or “an exotic bird” / “an ibis”)
According to tradition, who is the author of The Odyssey?
Homer
In poetry terms, what does imagery do for a poem?
Imagery appeals to the senses to create mental pictures.
What part of speech is the underlined word in this sentence? “Until 1892, there were no toothpaste tubes.”
a preposition
What is the difference between connotation and denotation? Provide a brief example using the word “home.”
Connotation = emotional/associative meaning; Denotation = literal dictionary meaning.
Example: “home” denotation = dwelling; connotation = safety, warmth.
Where does Doodle get his nickname? Briefly explain
He crawled backward like a doodlebug when he was a baby.
What is the main focus of The Odyssey’s plot (one short sentence)?
Odysseus’s long journey home after the Trojan War.
In Lydia Davis’s “Head, Heart,” which piece of figurative language is used to show the heart and head talking to each other?
Personification — giving human speech/action to heart and head.
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence: (
A) The movie sold out, so we went to a ball game instead.
(B) The movie sold out so we went to a ball game instead.
Correct: (A) The movie sold out, so we went to a ball game instead.
Define ethos, logos, and pathos. Give a short example of each (one sentence each)
Ethos = appeal to credibility; Logos = appeal to logic/reason; Pathos = appeal to emotion.
Examples: ethos — a doctor recommending a treatment; logos — statistics supporting a claim; pathos — a personal story that makes the audience feel sympathy.
Why does the narrator teach Doodle to walk? Explain the narrator’s motive.
The narrator is embarrassed and wants a “normal” brother; he wants someone to be proud of.
Name Odysseus’s wife and son.
Wife = Penelope; son = Telemachus.
What does the “S” stand for in TP-CASTT? What does the “A” stand for?
TP-CASTT: S = Shift (or sometimes “Shift/change in tone”), A = Attitude (or “Author’s attitude”).
Define a gerund, a participle, and an infinitive (one short phrase each)
verbal acting as noun, ends in -ing (e.g., “Swimming is fun”); Participle = verbal acting as adjective, often ends in -ing or -ed (e.g., “The broken vase”); Infinitive = “to + verb” functioning as noun/adverb/adjective (e.g., “to run”).
Explain what an archetype is and name two archetypes that appear in epic stories.
Archetype = a recurring symbol/character type in literature. Examples: the mentor, the trickster.
Identify two ways the scarlet ibis and Doodle are similar and explain the symbolic connection.
Similarities: both are rare/beautiful/fragile and out of place; symbolic connection: both represent vulnerability and tragic beauty.
Describe one clever tactic Penelope uses to delay the suitors (as told by Edith Hamilton)
Penelope weaves a burial shroud by day and unravels it by night to delay choosing a suitor.
Who is the main character/voice in The Poet X poems we studied?
Xiomara (main speaker/poet-voice).
Explain the difference between tone and mood in one or two sentences.
Tone = the author/speaker’s attitude toward the subject; Mood = the feeling or atmosphere the reader experiences.
Define “monomyth/hero’s journey.” List three major stages of the hero’s journey and give a one-line example of each.
Monomyth/hero’s journey = the hero’s adventure pattern. Stages: Call to Adventure (hero leaves home), Ordeal/ Crisis (hero faces major challenge), Return/Transformation (hero returns changed).
Explain one major theme of “The Scarlet Ibis” and cite a detail from the story that supports it.
Theme example: Pride can be destructive — the narrator’s pride pushes Doodle past his limits; textual support: narrator’s insistence on teaching Doodle to do things beyond his strength and the final scene where Doodle is left behind in the storm.
Compare how Dorothy Parker and Edith Hamilton portray Penelope—name one similarity and one difference.
Similarity: both portray Penelope as clever and loyal; Difference: Parker emphasizes the boredom/dull daily life, while Hamilton emphasizes cunning and resourcefulness.
Read this short excerpt: “our laughter pealing through the swamp like a ringing bell.” Identify the figurative language that is used and explain how it works in the line.
The line is a simile (“like a ringing bell”) — compares laughter to a bell to emphasize loudness/clarity and to create an auditory image.
Punctuation challenge: Correct this sentence and explain the correction — A childhood nickname can cast a shadow over a persons family name.
Corrected: “A childhood nickname can cast a shadow over a person's family name.” Explanation: add apostrophe in “person's” to show possessive.