unit 1
what is another word for explaining in detail
expound
what is another word for increased, enhanced
augmented
what is another word for impressive in size
prodigious
what is another word for remnant or sediment
dreg
what is another word for in a doubtful or uncertain way
dubiously
Read this excerpt from And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
Illuminated by the setting sun, they had their first glimpse of Indian Island jutting up out of the sea to the south.
Vera said, surprised:
“It’s a long way out.”
She had pictured it differently, close to shore, crowned with a beautiful white house. But there was no house visible, only the boldly silhouetted rock with its faint resemblance to a giant Indian’s head. There was something sinister about it. She shivered faintly.
By considering that Vera observes “something sinister” about the island, you can recognize that this excerpt contains foreshadowing. This use of foreshadowing creates suspense and interest for the reader and hints at an odd or dangerous situation that is to come. That Vera “shiver[s] faintly” adds to a sense of looming disaster.
this is an example of what?
foreshadowing
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate. …
this is an example of what?
metaphor
These articles were brought to me by Skyresh Bolgolam in person attended by two under-secretaries, and several persons of distinction. After they were read, I was demanded to swear to the performance of them; first in the manner of my own country, and afterwards in the method prescribed by their laws; which was, to hold my right foot in my left hand, and to place the middle finger of my right hand on the crown of my head, and my thumb on the tip of my right ear.
this is an example of what?
satire
Read the excerpt from Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” in which Dr. John Watson relates how he and detective Sherlock Holmes dealt with mysterious events in the home of their terrified client.
Then suddenly another sound became audible—a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull.
“You see it, Watson?” he yelled. “You see it?”
But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light I heard a low, clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into my weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which my friend lashed so savagely. I could, however, see that his face was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing.
In the excerpt, the author provides specific descriptions that are nevertheless ambiguous. Readers must make their own inferences about the meaning of the “gentle, soothing sound” the two men heard, why Holmes seemed to be attacking something near the bell-pull, where the “low, clear whistle” came from, and what inspired such “horror and loathing” in the detective. The unknowns and unexplained events enhance the mystery and excitement at the climax of this adventure story.
Detective-fiction authors, like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, love to engage their readers by making them an integral part of the story in this way. Readers want to continue reading so that they can see if their own inferences correctly solved the mystery.
making inferences and identifying ambiguities.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds, a novel by H. G. Wells. The Martians have landed on Earth to destroy it. In the excerpt, one of the characters is inspecting The Thing, a foreign object—actually a Martian spaceship—which has crashed on Earth. It is initially thought to be a meteorite.
The Thing itself lay almost entirely buried in sand, amidst the scattered splinters of a fir tree it had shivered to fragments in its descent. The uncovered part had the appearance of a huge cylinder, caked over and its outline softened by a thick scaly dun-coloured incrustation. It had a diameter of about thirty yards. He approached the mass, surprised at the size and more so at the shape, since most meteorites are rounded more or less completely. It was, however, still so hot from its flight through the air as to forbid his near approach. A stirring noise within its cylinder he ascribed to the unequal cooling of its surface; for at that time it had not occurred to him that it might be hollow.
The scene in this excerpt moves slowly. The author increases suspense by carefully describing the Thing through the perspective of one character who sees it for the first time. The author includes specific visual and auditory details, such as “A stirring noise within,” to help readers take in the experience.
Slowing down the pace allows the author to portray aspects of the character and to generate a tone of uncertainty and suspense. Contributing to this tone are phrases like “had the appearance of,” “surprised at the size and more so at the shape,” and “it had not occurred to him” to describe what the character is seeing, hearing, and thinking. As the scene unfolds deliberately, it begins to dawn on readers that this strange object might represent danger.
analyzing pacing and tone
in Gothic Romanticism describes how natural elements look, sound, and feel; for example, stormy, mysterious, or unpredictable.
Description
in Gothic Romanticism is cryptic or unnatural and usually focuses on topics pertaining to the unspeakable, the forbidden, or the uncanny.
Dialogue
in Gothic Romanticism highlights the tension and horror; you can provide a misleading clue or positively characterize an obviously antagonistic character to slow the pace and heighten the anticipation.
Pacing
in Gothic Romanticism can introduce different, gloomier moods and can provide plot twists.
Multiple plot lines
Here are a few ideas to consider as you decide on your narrative’s resolution:
Be sure to include your resolution in your outline.
Resolution
Read this excerpt from Physiologus to analyze the use and impact of symbolism.
From the creature’s mouth
Issues a melody of sweetest strains;
And close upon the voice a balmy scent
Fills all the place—an incense lovelier,
Sweeter, and abler to perfume the air,
Than any odor of an earthly flower
Or scent of woodland fruit, more excellent
Than all this world’s adornments.
The “odor” is a symbol for Christ and represents the soothing and unavoidable impact Christ has on everyone who encounters him. The odor that Christ gives off—of springtime flowers and fruits—is other-worldly and symbolizes purity and calm. By using a symbol that has many possible meanings, the author characterizes Christ as someone who has a powerful presence that is able “to perfume the air” and enchant anyone.
implicit meaning using symbolism.
Read the excerpt from John Donne’s “Breake of Day.”
Light hath no tongue, but is all eye;
If it could speake as well as spie,
This were the worst, that it could say,
That being well, I faine would stay.
In these lines, the light from daybreak is being personified; light is given the human characteristic of sight. By personifying daybreak, the speaker is rallying its support for her cause; namely, that her lover, who has to go to work, should stay with her instead. Her argument to her lover becomes stronger, in a sense, because even daybreak is on her side.
personification
Line 1 is I met a traveller from an antique land
The author is ambiguous about where that land is located. Thus, from the opening lines of the poem, you—the reader—enter its world of ambiguity and uncertainty. In addition, calling it “an antique land” implies that you should think about a past time and a place that no longer exist.
ambiguity.
Read the opening stanza from Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Darkling Thrush.”
I leant upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-gray,
And Winter’s dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
This stanza includes several metaphors. The frost is described as “spectre-gray,” comparing it to an apparition or ghost. “Winter’s dregs” refers to the season as the last remnant or undesirable part of something. And “the weakening eye of day” compares the waning day to a dimming eye.
The author chooses to use these metaphors to depict particular mental images and at the same time endow them with specific emotional connections.
metaphor in poetry
Read the excerpt from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. In this example of flashback, the narrator is recalling an uncomfortable moment from the beginning of her married life at Maxim de Winter’s impressive country estate, Manderley.
I can close my eyes now, and look back on it, and see myself as I must have been, standing on the threshold of the house, a slim, awkward figure in my stockinette dress, clutching in my sticky hands a pair of gauntlet gloves. I can see the great stone hall, the wide doors open to the library, the Peter Lelys and the Vandykes on the walls, the exquisite staircase leading to the minstrels’ gallery, and there, ranged one behind the other in the hall, overflowing to the stone passages beyond, and to the dining-room, a sea of faces, open-mouthed and curious, gazing at me as though they were the watching crowd about the block, and I the victim with my hands behind my back.
The narrator’s description vividly brings the scene to life for readers. In the flashback, the narrator relives and readily confesses her feelings of awkwardness and fear in an earlier time. Readers see that she is now at a more balanced and assured point in her life and can look back on her early missteps without shame. The anguished tone of this scene also heightens the mystery for readers: Why does Manderley seem to be the focus of so many negative experiences? By using flashback in this way, the author adds depth to the narrator’s character and expands the mystery in the plot.
flashback
In academic writing, a resolution will wrap up whatever was discussed in the narrative and will form some sort of conclusion. In narrative writing, a resolution might not tie things up so neatly. In the Gothic Romantic genre, a conclusion is often unsatisfying for readers, and it does not resolve the conflict entirely. However, you must still decide how you want your story to end and how you will resolve it.
Effective Resolution
As you finalize your outline, be sure to incorporate
Finalizing the Plot Outline
Editing and Proofreading
After evaluating your claim and the ideas in your essay, examine the paragraphs. Make sure each paragraph supports your claim. Paragraphs need to be organized in a way that makes sense and allows the ideas to flow smoothly.
Ask yourself these questions when revising content in paragraphs:
Revising Paragraphs
When you have completed all revisions and edits, you are ready to produce a clean copy of the final draft of your literary analysis essay. This is when you ensure that you address all major and minor issues that came to light during the revision and editing phases.
Keep these considerations in mind:
Once you have completed your final draft, it is time to publish your writing. This means you are going to release it for others to read. For this class, you submit your writing from within the online learning management system. In other situations, publishing might include printing out your writing and turning it in to your teacher, uploading it for others to view, or posting it on a website. Follow your teacher’s instructions for submitting and/or publishing your paper.
Publishing a Literary Analysis Essay