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AP TIP images are visual: he sees the grasshoppers jumping and the tall tried to inspire me into replicating the “th” sound between here and there, English revealed itself 1
®
1
grasses waving. Let’s take a closer look at this description in with the seductive powers of her voice. . . . Once to me with the ease of thread unspooled. I began
Although imagery often
makes prose more vivid, particular: I made it past the fourth or fifth week in to understand the levity and weight of its CLOSE READING chapter 1
that’s not its sole purpose. Connecticut, the new language began gathering sentences. First base, second base, home run.
Ask students to use a 2-column chart to
Make sure you can explain Queer little red bugs came out and moved in slow squadrons around momentum, like tumbleweed in a storm. This New terminologies were not difficult to master, Ask students to use a 2-column chart to
track the figurative language thr
oughout the
what vivid imagery conveys me. Their backs were polished vermilion, with black spots. was my realization: we have only to let one thing and gradually the possibility of perfection began track the figurative language throughout the
excerpt in support of the activity prompt.
about the narrator, the go — the language we think in, or the edging its ways into my life. How did those excerpt in support of the activity pr ompt.
characters, the setting, The imagery tells us that these are little red bugs with black spots, Ask students to track the literal meanings of
Ask students to track the literal meanings of
and so on. but consider what is added with the words “squadrons” and composition of our dream, the grass roots numerous Chinatowns and Little Italys sustain wor ds in column one, then explain the figu-
words in column one, then explain the figu-
the will to maintain a distance, the desire to
clinging underneath its rocks — and all at once
rative meanings of the wor
ds in column 2.
“polished vermilion,” both figurative descriptions. Our imagination everything goes. It had astonished me, the ease inhabit the edge and margin of American life? A rative meanings of the words in column 2.
Analyzing Short Fiction
is piqued by the self-sufficiency of an army of bugs, painted bright red, going about with which continents shift and planets change mere eight weeks into Farmington, and the TRM Graphic Organizer
their business, oblivious to the human presence of the narrator. With such striking course, the casual way in which the earth goes American Dream was exerting a sly but
© Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.
A graphic or
ganizer for this activity can be
images, the narrator suggests a heightened sensory awareness of his experience. about shedding the laborious folds of its seductive pull. Section 2 / Close Reading: Analyzing Literary Elements and Techniques A graphic organizer for this activity can be
s Resour
found in the T
eacher’
ce Materials.
memories. Suddenly out of that difficult space 1997 found in the Teacher’s Resource Materials.
KEY QUESTIONS
CLOSE READING
Analyzing Figurative Language Syntax
Ask students to consider this phrase:
• Which words and/or phrases are used literally, and which are used figuratively? Syntax is the arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. When we Ask students to consider this phrase:
“How did those numerous Chinatowns
• What images do you find? How do they convey a larger meaning? read closely, we consider whether the sentences in a work are long or short, simple or “How did those numer ous Chinatowns
and Little Italys sustain the will to maintain
• In what ways does the figurative language evoke a specific feeling or mood? complex. The most common type of syntax is a sentence with a subject-verb-object and Little Italys sustain the will to maintain
a distance, the desir
e to inhabit the edge
• Is the figurative language consistent throughout the passage, or does it shift? If you pattern, usually with a single clause. More complex sentences have two or more a distance, the desire to inhabit the edge
and margin of American life? A mere eight
detect a shift, how does it develop meaning? clauses. A cumulative sentence begins with an independent clause that is followed by and mar gin of American life? A mer e eight
weeks into Farmington, and the American
subordinate clauses or phrases that add detail; often, this sentence pattern conveys weeks into Farmington, and the American
Dr
eam was exerting a sly but seductive
Dream was exerting a sly but seductive
detailed descriptions or qualifications. Another type of a longer complex sentence is pull.” How does the use of figurative
pull.” How does the use of figurative
periodic: it begins with subordinate clauses or phrases that build toward the main language (specifically personification)
language (specifically personification)
clause. Most sentences follow the traditional subject-verb-object order, though some evoke a specific feeling or mood? Ask them
evoke a specific feeling or mood? Ask them
activity Analyzing Figurative Language are inverted: that is, the verb may appear before the subject. You might also look at to consider the use of the words “sustain”
to consider the use of the words “sustain”
syntactic patterns, such as several long sentences followed by a short sentence. In
and “exerting” in discussing the impact of
Following is an excerpt from the novel Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao. In this passage, the and “exerting” in discussing the impact of
figurative language.
main character, a young refugee from Vietnam who has come to the United States to some cases, a writer will choose to use a sentence fragment, which in most academic figurative language.
live with her adoptive family, describes the experience of learning English. Identify the writing is considered an error. But in fiction, a short phrase or even a single word
figurative language in the passage and discuss what it conveys about the narrator’s followed by a period can deliberately slow the pace of the passage down or emphasize
complex attitude toward her newly acquired language skills. a point. BUILDING CONTEXT
The Cather passage is almost entirely composed of straightforward, declarative
from Monkey Bridge
Students should not be intimidated by
sentences that follow a subject-verb-object pattern. Only in the last three sentences, Students should not be intimidated by
syntax. Instead, they should understand
Lan Cao when Cather departs from the concrete natural world, does she deviate from this syntax. Instead, they should understand
that sentence patterns often can be visually
structure. Note the immediate contrast between short, perhaps even abrupt sentences — that sentence patter ns often can be visually
I followed Aunt Mary around the house, rubbed and polished by the waves of a warm for instance, “Nothing happened,” and “I was entirely happy” — and the longer ones discer ned even if the complexity of the text
discerned even if the complexity of the text
collecting words like a beggar gathering rain summer beach. She could swim straight through that follow: “Perhaps we feel like that when we die and become a part of something is gr eat. In other wor ds, when analyzing
is great. In other words, when analyzing
with an earthen pan. She opened her mouth and her syllables. On days when we studied together, entire, whether it is sun and air, or goodness and knowledge. At any rate, that is syntax, you begin by simply looking. The
syntax, you begin by simply looking. The
out came a constellation of gorgeous sounds. I almost convinced myself that we would happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great.” Those two sentences, point can be made clear er by exposing
point can be made clearer by exposing
Each word she uttered was a round stone, with continue that way forever, playing with the which accumulate details as part of the speaker’s natural thought processes, almost students to writers who use distinct
students to writers who use distinct
the smoothness of something that had been movement of sound itself. I would listen as she syntactical patterns. Consider showing
ns. Consider showing
syntactical patter
om other writers, such as Jane
excerpts from other writers, such as Jane
excerpts fr
Austen, Alice Walker, Angela Carter, Gabriel
30 31 Austen, Alice W alker , Angela Carter , Gabriel
Gar
, or
García Márquez, Cormac McCarthy, or
quez, Cormac McCarthy
cía Már
Thomas Har
Thomas Hardy. .
dy
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chapter 1 / Close Reading: Analyzing Literary Elements and Techniques 31
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