Exams are just around the corner and one of my favourite to prep kids for is the Unfamiliar text. At level 1 and 2 you can get away with the more concrete language features like Alliteration and Similes but as you go along if you want a good mark you have to pull out the big guns when it comes to language features. So here are some of my favourite fancy pants language features that will make you look brainy every time. Starting with Allusion...
Allusion
Allusions make reference to something that they assume everyone knows about. The collective consciousness of literature. It is shorthand to get across an idea with more impact because of the weight it holds from the thousands of times it has been referenced or used.
Example:
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury used allusions very well. In one line, the volcano Vesuvius is cited. In 79 A.D. Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying the neighboring city of Pompeii and all its residents. Through this allusion, we understand one of the characters, Mildred, was running faster than she'd ever run - as if her life depended on it:
"Mildred ran from the parlor like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius." (Examples)
Foreshadowing
This works best when talking about longer texts as it is the promise of the setup and the payoff. If you want to see some really good examples of this in a film you should check out Mad Max.
Example:
Imagery
This one is tricky as students always say it creates an image in their mind. Think more like Beam me up Scotty. It is meant to transport you somewhere else and associate things together that doesn't always get associated together to create a new image. When you talk about you should be discussing the senses that have been accessed.
Example:
Common Examples of Imagery
We use imagery in everyday speech to convey our meaning. Here are some examples of imagery from each of the five senses:
Taste: The familiar tang of his grandmother’s cranberry sauce reminded him of his youth.Sound: The concert was so loud that her ears rang for days afterward. Sight: The sunset was the most gorgeous they’d ever seen; the clouds were edged with pink and gold.Smell: After eating the curry, his breath reeked of garlic.Touch: The tree bark was rough against her skin. (Literary Devices)
Juxtaposition
I like this one because it is also used in art. This is about putting things together to highlight their differences. Otherwise known as a contrast.
Example:
One of the most famous literary examples of juxtaposition is the opening passage from Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair …" (Literary Devices)
Symbolism
One of my favourites as it ties into allusion and the others to reinforce an idea. Like allusion it is also a short cut to making a big idea from very few words.
Example:
Ah Sunflower
Here is an excerpt from William Blake's "Ah Sunflower." In it, Blake refers to life cycle and uses sunflowers to represent humankind and how they desire everlasting life.
Ah Sunflower, weary of time, Who countest the steps of the sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveler's journey is done; (Examples)
Motif
Again one of my favourites because it can also be in art. This is a symbol that is repeated over and over. It is make an idea omnipresent in the text to reinforce an idea.
Example:
In Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, trains are an omnipresent motif that symbolize transition, derailment, and ultimately violent death and destruction. (Literary Devices)
So these are the ones I think are the most flexible to use in unfamiliar text and with many different texts. So know them and how they work.
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