Unit 6 Lesson 5: Mood and Sensory Language Flashcards
denotation
the literal meaning of a word
dystopian
descriptive term for an imagined society where people suffer and live wretched lives because of some terrible event
nuances
subtle or slight degrees of difference in a word’s meaning
What kind of words do authors focus on selecting
Authors focus on selecting words that will influence the reader’s emotions and how they react to a story.
What do nuances help create
Nuances in the meanings of words help to create a more multi-faceted depiction of the story’s atmosphere.
How might the mood and tone change
The mood and tone of the story might shift over time to reflect new events and challenges faced by the characters.
Common types of social controls used to portray a dystopian world in fiction include
Common types of social controls used to portray a dystopian world in fiction include corporate or economic control, bureaucratic control, technical control, or philosophical or religious control.
When a literary work describes a dystopian society, oppressive social controls are used to give
When a literary work describes a dystopian society, oppressive social controls are used to give the illusion of perfect harmony.
Authors choose their words carefully to create specific effects. What influence does this have
Authors choose their words carefully to create specific effects. Together, these words influence how the reader experiences the settings, events, and characters of a story.
How might words with the same denotation be extremly different
Words often have a similar denotation, or literal meaning. However, they may have an extremely different connotation, or the ideas and feelings associated with words. The associations might be positive, negative, or even neutral. Authors think about these associations when deciding to use certain words together.
Authors rely on nuances of meaning to create the
Authors rely on nuances of meaning to create the mood and tone of a story.
Why is recognizing the mood and tone important
Recognizing the mood and tone and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text is critical to a reader. By crafting both literary elements with care, an author can affect the reader’s response to the text.
mood vs tone
the mood of a piece is the atmosphere of the piece of writing, while the tone is how the author of the story feels about the characters and their situation.
Why is it important for a reader to analyze the nuances of meaning of the words used in a story?
Paying attention to these nuances of meaning will help the reader understand why a story makes them feel the way it does and help them recognize how the author feels about the story.
How do the words heat, hot, warmth, and burns share a similar denotation? How do their connotations differ? How do the words stings and bites share a similar denotation? How do their connotations differ?
Sample answer: The words heat, hot, warmth, and burns all have meanings related to a high temperature. They differ because heat and hot have connotations of the highest type of temperature, warmth has the connotation of a pleasant feeling of heat, and burns has the connotation of pain and causing an injury through heat. The words stings and bites both have meanings related to being attacked and painfully injured. They differ because stings has the connotation of a sudden sharp piercing, while bites has the connotation of being seized by teeth.
How do the nuances in the meanings of words with similar denotations influence the mood of this section of the story?
Reading so many words with meanings related to heat and injury makes the reader feel apprehensive and creates a threatening and volatile mood.
imagery
the use of descriptive language that creates a vivid picture in the reader’s mind and may evoke an emotional response
kinesthetic imagery
a literary device that conveys the feeling of movement and action
sensory language
description that appeals to the reader’s senses
What is the importance of the use sensory language
Authors use sensory language to build an imaginary world with characters, settings, and events. Including details that tell how things look, sound, smell, feel like, or even taste like makes a text more realistic.
What is the importance of imagery
The imagery created by sensory language helps readers visualize what is happening and connect more deeply to the story. Imagery is especially helpful when adventures go beyond what people normally experience in their everyday lives.
What do sensory details allow a reader to do
Sensory details and imagery can convey essential information to the reader. Readers can determine meaning and connect to the experiences the characters are having. Careful readers use effective reasoning to draw conclusions about why an author includes sensory language that creates imagery.
Sensory language vs imagery.
Sensory language uses vivid words that appeal to the senses to engage the reader’s mind and create a detailed mental image. Imagery provokes an emotional response from the reader and often makes a reader feel more connected to the story.
What is Kinesthetic imagery all about
Kinesthetic imagery goes beyond details related to the five senses and is often used in poetry. Kinetic means “relating to or resulting from motion.” Therefore, these types of images convey sensations related to full body movements.
What are some examples of kinesthetic imagery
For example, an eagle might be described as “swooping down” on its prey. A character might be described as having a “pounding heartbeat.”
mood
the atmosphere or emotional quality that a reader detects from a text as they read
tone
the author’s attitude toward the events or characters of a literary text, as conveyed through word choices and the use of literary devices
mood vs tone
. The mood is the atmosphere of the story. It is designed to evoke certain emotions from the reader, such as happiness, sadness, fear, or even curiosity. The tone, on the other hand, is the attitude of the author toward the subject matter of a text, which might include feeling cynical, distanced, cheerful, nostalgic, or humorous.
