Literary Element

Figurative
Language

Possible sentence starters

When (author) writes,
_________________(p._), the
(element of figurative
language) highlights ________.
The authors use of this
(element of figurative
language) helps us
understand ____

Example
When Jon Stevens writes, time moved like
molasses (p.1), the metaphor highlights the
way Southern living was similar to the
Southern process of canning molassesslow
and laborious. The authors use of this
metaphor helps us understand Juanitos
frustration with the slow-paced life of rural
Tejas.

Characterization

When the author describes

____________, he/she
underscores
__________________. His/Her
use of the word/phrase
_______ [sheds light on] how
__________________.

When Fannie Hurst describes the way Delilah

raised Jessie as the prioritymost
punctiliously observed, she underscores the
way Peola, her actual daughter, is not given
the same affection. Her use of the word
priority sheds light on how Peola is
neglected and never fully grows to love
herself, her Blackness, and her mother,
ultimately leading in her tragic fall.

Setting/Mood

To describe the setting/mood,

the author writes: ________.
The authors depiction of
_____ [reveals] that
_______________.
The authors illustration of
_____ makes the reader feel.

To describe the setting, Toni Morrison writes:

124 was spiteful. Full of babys venom. Her
depiction of her home reveals that her setting
is a place of anger and danger. Additionally,
her use of the word venom sheds light on
how 124 was a place of sin, possibly alluding
to the snake of Adam and Eve.

Symbol

The author describes

(symbol) as, _____. His/her
use of the word/phrase
_____ helps us understand
the theme/conflict/etc. of the
story by _________.

Danzy Senna describes Sandys silverware as

semi-valuable silverwarethat gets run
through the washing machine regulary. Her
use of the phrase semi-valuable helps us
understand Sandys internal conflict because
this disrespect of her wealth mirrors the way
she disrespects her families elite social class.

General

Quote context:
________________. This
description/response/comme
nt/etc. shows

His cold and reserved manner first manifests

itself in a reply to the narrators request for a
copy: I would prefer not to, said henot a
wrinkle of agitation rippled him (122).This
response, with the awkward construction of
verb preceding noun, immediately puzzles
both the lawyer and the reader.