Important concepts we’ll discuss with varied texts!

Literary Elements NotesPart 1

This set of notes will cover…1. Denotation2. Connotation3. Tone4. Mood5. Inference

EQ: In what ways does language shape a text?

Denotation

a word’s literal, or dictionary, meaning

Selections from the New Oxford American Dictionary:

quarter |ˈkwôrtər|noun1 each of four equal or corresponding parts into which something is or can be divided: she cut each apple into quarters |a page and a quarter | a quarter of a mile.

2 a coin representing 25 cents, one fourth of a US or Canadian dollar.

3 (in various sports) each of four equal periods into which a game is divided.

1. 2.

3.

Connotation

the attitude or feeling associated with a word

• Connotations may be positive, negative, or neutral.• Connotations of words can have

an important influence on style and meaning.

Positive:The children were enthusiastic.

Negative:The children were rowdy.

Neutral:The children had energy.

Tone

the attitude a writer takes toward a subject

• A writer communicates tone through choice of words (diction) and details. • Tone may often be described by

a single word, such as serious, humorous, formal, informal, somber, sarcastic, playful, ironic, bitter, or objective.

Tone Practice1. What is the author’s attitude, or tone, in the following passage?

2. Identify words and phrases that impact the tone.

“You will send your child, will you, into a room where the table is loaded with sweet wine and fruit—some poisoned, some not?—you will say to him, "Choose freely, my little child! It is so good for you to have freedom of choice; it forms your character—your individuality! If you take the wrong cup or the wrong berry, you will die before the day is over, but you will have acquired the dignity of a free child.”

— “Freedom” by John Ruskin

Tone Practice1. What is the author’s attitude, or tone, in the following passage? 2. Identify words and phrases that impact the tone.

“You will send your child, will you, into a room where the table is loaded with sweet wine and fruit—some poisoned, some not?—you will say to him, "Choose freely, my little child! It is so good for you to have freedom of choice; it forms your character—your individuality! If you take the wrong cup or the wrong berry, you will die before the day is over, but you will have acquired the dignity of a free child.”— “Freedom” by John Ruskin Tone: Sarcastic or Mocking

Moodthe feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader

• Descriptive words, imagery, and figurative language contribute to the mood of a work, as do sound and rhythm of the language used.

1. What is the mood in the following passage? (How does it make you feel?)

2. What words and phrases create this mood?

During the holidays, my mother's house glittered with decorations and hummed with preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider while we helped her wrap bright packages and trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening to Christmas carols and even singing along sometimes. We would tease each other about our terrible voices and then sing even louder.

Moodthe feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader

• Descriptive words, imagery, and figurative language contribute to the mood of a work, as do sound and rhythm of the language used.

1. What is the mood in the following passage? (How does it make you feel?)

2. What words and phrases create this mood?

During the holidays, my mother's house glittered with decorations and hummed with preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider while we helped her wrap brightpackages and trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening to Christmas carols and even singing along sometimes. We would tease each other about our terrible voices and then sing even louder. Mood: Content or Happy

Mood vs. Tone PracticeRead the following passage, identifying 1) the tone, 2) the words that impact the tone, 3) the mood, and 4) the words that create the mood.

Gently smiling, the mother tenderly tucked the covers up around the child’s neck, and carefully, quietly, left the room, making sure to leave a comforting ray of light shining through the opened door should the child wake.Tone: _____________________________________________________Tone Words: _______________________________________________Mood: ____________________________________________________Mood Words: ______________________________________________

Mood vs. Tone PracticeRead the following passage, identifying 1) the tone, 2) the words that impact the tone, 3) the mood, and 4) the words that create the mood.

Gently smiling, the mother tenderly tucked the covers up around the child’s neck, and carefully, quietly, left the room, making sure to leave a comforting ray of light shining through the opened door should the child wake.Tone: _____________________________________________________Tone Words: _______________________________________________Mood: ____________________________________________________Mood Words: ______________________________________________

Admiring – The author admires the mother.

PeacefulSmiling, quietly, comforting, ray of light

Gently, tenderly, carefully, making sure

Inference

an idea or conclusion that’s drawn from evidence and reasoning (an educated guess)

• Readers use evidence from the text and their own knowledge and experience to support inferences.

Inference ChartWhat I read What I know

(evidence)What I think(inference)

“Avery watched as her new next-door neighbors moved in. She observed a tall man carrying a bicycle and a kayak into the garage. She also saw a young woman carrying a surfboard through the front door” (20).

“I can infer that Avery’s neighbor’s like to spend time outdoors.”

• Avery’s neighbors own equipment for outdoor recreation.

• They are young.

• They are strong enough to carry it themselves.

Make an inference:What is going on in this photo?

Provide evidence:What evidence do you see to support your inference?

Inference:A man is diving in this photo.

Evidence:1. Humans

can’t fly.2. He’s wearing

a bathing suit.

3. His arms are spread in a diving pose.

“I infer that…”

“I know this because…”