english literal devices

Question 1

Focus

Answer 1

What is the passage about? Is it about a decision a character takes, a revelation that he/she comes to, or an event and what that reveals? Or does it reveal a person’s circumstances and character? Or something else?

Question 2

Tone

Answer 2

Is the attitude of the narrator significant? What is the narrator’s attitude to his/her subject? What is the tone of the passage?

Question 3

Point of View

Answer 3

(PoV) From whose point of view is the passage told? Does this change in the course of the passage? Is there a shift in perspective? If so, what effects are gained from this change?

Question 4

Central Character

Answer 4

Is there a central character? What do we learn about him/her? How do we learn this - through others’ comments, descriptions, interior monologue? What? Is there anything significant about his/her relationship to us / the other characters in the passage? How do we feel about him /her?

Question 5

Chronology

Answer 5

Is the passage narrated chronologically, or does it look forwards or backwards at any point? In either case, why is this done? What does it achieve? Is time significant?

Question 6

Structure

Answer 6

How is the passage structured? Does it fall into several sections, or is it one unbroken piece of writing? What effect does its structure have? On what rationale is it structure-based e.g. different stages of a journey, a progression of thought, something else?

Question 7

Description / Language

Answer 7

What part does description play? Does it provide the setting, add to the atmosphere, tell us about the characters, or what? How are dictions or images used, and what effects do they create? Comment on images and diction that enhances or creates meanings.