MTTC 002 - Literature and Understanding - Pt.1 (SET TWO)) Flashcards
Explain the Difference Between Literal Meaning and Figurative Meaning in Literature, Including Some Examples
- When language is used literally, the words mean exactly what they say and nothing more
When language is used figuratively, the words mean something beyond their literal meaning
EX: “The weeping willow tree has long, trailing branches and leaves” is a literal description.
“The weeping willow tree looks as if it is bending over and crying” is a figurative description
Define What Figures of Speech Are and Give Examples
- A figure of speech is a verbal expression whose meaning is figurative rather than literal.
EX: “Butterflies in the stomach.”
Give a General Definition of Figurative Language in Literature and Identify Two Functions It Serves.
-Figurative Language extends past the literal meaning of words.
- It offers readers new insight into the people, things, events, and subjects covered in a work of literature.
- It also enables enables readers to feel they are sharing the authors’ experiences.
Identify Seven Specific Types of Figurative Language
Seven specific types of figurative language include:
- Alliteration
-Onomatopoeia - Personification
- Imagery
- Simile
- Metaphor
-Hyperbole
Define Alliteration and Onomatopoeia
Alliteration - Describes a series of words beginning with the same sounds
EX: “The moan of doves in immemorial elms, / And murmuring of innumerable bees.”
“Moan” sounds like some sounds doves make and “murmuring” represents the sounds of bees buzzing.
Describe What Personification Is
- Personification describes a non-human thing, like an animal or an object, as if it were human
EX: “The tree groans in the wind.”
Describe What a Simile Is
- Similes are stated comparisons using “like” or “as”.
Describe What a Metaphor Is
- A metaphor is a type of figurative language in which the writer equates something with another thing that is not particularly similar.
EX: “The bird was an arrow arcing through the sky.”
Define and Give a Literary Example of a Metaphor From a Poem, Explaining How it Fits the Definition. Name a Poem That Uses an Extended Metaphor, Identifying the Extended Metaphor
- A metaphor is an implied comparison (without using “like” or “as”).
EX: William Blake writes, “Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night.” Blake compares a tiger to a flame without using “like” or “as”. Instead, he simply describes it as “burning”.
EX (Extended Metaphor): Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “O Ship of State” uses an extended metaphor by consistently referring to the state, union, or republic as a seagoing vessel.
Define and Give Several Examples of Hyperbole as a Kind of Figurative Language Used in Literature
- Hyperbole is excessive exaggeration used for humor or emphasis rather than for literal meaning
EX: Harper Lee wrote: “People moved slowly then. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County.” This was not literally true; Lee exaggerates the scarcity of these things for emphasis
EX: Mark Twain (“Old Times on the Mississippi”) wrote, “I…could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.” This is not literal, but makes his description vivid and funny.
Define Three Types of Literary Irony. Give Some Examples in Literature of Two of These Types
- In literature, Irony demonstrates the opposite of what is said or done
- There are three types of irony:
- Verbal Irony
- Situational Irony
- Dramatic Irony
- Verbal irony uses words opposite to the meaning
EX: Describing something that is confusing as “clear as mud.”
- Situational irony is when the outcome of a situation is contrary to or different from what is expected
EX: O. Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi” uses situational irony: a husband and wife each sacrifice their most prized possession to buy each other a Christmas present. The irony is that she sells her long hair to buy him a watch fob, while he sells his heirloom pocket watch to buy her the jeweled combs for her hair she had long wanted. In the end, neither of them can use their gifts.
- In dramatic irony, narrative informs audiences of more than its characters know.
EX: In “Romeo and Juliet”, the audience is made aware that Juliet is only asleep, while Romeo believes her to be dead, which then leads to Romeo’s death.
