Figurative LanguageRL.4

September 26 - Oct 1

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LITERAL vs. FIGURATIVELITERAL

The grass is green.

Her eyes are blue.

This room stinks.

FIGURATIVE

The grass is as green as a frog’s belly.

Her eyes are blue marbles suspended in granite.

The smell in this room is so bad that I’m going to puke.

LITERALLY vs. FIGURATIVELY

Turn & Talk

Why do you think authors use figurative language?

What does it do to their writing?

New Standard Sheet

RL4

Fill out your new standard sheet.

RL.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

RL.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

RL.4 -Important

Terms

Figurative: language that is not literal that you have to figure out.

Connotative meaning: refers to the positive and negative associations that words carry.

Impact: effects

Tone: the author’s attitude towards the subject

Evokes: brings out

Time/Place: setting of a text

Formal Tone: more serious, for example, how you would act in a job interview

Informal Tone: more playful, for example, how you would act with your friends

RL.4 -Rewrite the

Standard

Figure out how words and phrases are used in a text, both literally and figuratively; break apart how specific words in a text affect the text’s meaning and attitude.

Connotation vs. Denotation● Denotation is the literal, dictionary definition of a

word.● Connotation is an attitude or a feeling associated

with a word.

The connotations of words can be positive, negative, or neutral.

Connotation vs. DenotationBefore we watch, turn and talk:

Discuss these words. What do you think of when you hear these words?

Break, fall, play, split

Connotation vs. DenotationFor each of the following statements hold up a 1 if you prefer the first and a 2 if you prefer the second.

Would you rather….

● be called skinny or slim?● have someone tell you stop making a sound or

noise?● be described as unusual or weird?● have your cooking give off an aroma or an odor?

Connotation vs. DenotationImagine a babysitter reporting to the parent that her three children were very enthusiastic when they went on a trip to the museum. What meaning does this have for the parent?

OR

Imagine a babysitter reporting to the parent that her three children were very rambunctious and rowdy when they went on a trip to the museum. What meaning does this have for the parent?

Which paragraph is positive?

Connotation SortThe following words have the same denotation. Work in your group to sort them into either positive, negative, or neutral connotations.

#1 observe, watch, spy

#2 a young age, youthful, immature

#3 not having a care, irresponsible, carefree

#4 unique, not commonly found, strange

#5 find, detect, snoop

Connotation SortThe following words have the same denotation. Which words are the most positive? Which are neutral? Which are most negative? Using a notecard, can you put them on a continuum?

<--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

CONFIDENT, PUSHY, POISED, SELF-POSSESSED, ASSERTIVE, BOSSY, AUTHORITATIVE, CONCEITEDSELF-ASSURED, DOMINEERING, DECISIVE, TYRANNICAL

There are so many things to learn when it comes to figurative language...

Metaphors

Similes

Connotation

DenotationHyperbole

Diction Tone

Alliteration

Personification

ONOMATOPOEIA

Allusion

ImageryIrony

Cliche

Allegory

Idioms

UnderstatementPun

Anaphora

For the remainder of today...

Work on your Fig Lang Definitions Packet

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Connotation vs. DenotationTurn and talk -

Discuss with a neighbor:

What is the difference between connotative and denotative meaning? Can you give an example?

Connotation vs. Denotation● Denotation is the literal, dictionary definition of a

word.● Connotation is an attitude or a feeling associated

with a word.

The connotations of words can be positive, negative, or neutral.

Diction

Diction is a fancy English teacher word for AUTHOR’S WORD CHOICE. When we talk about why an author chooses to use particular words, we are talking about the author’s diction.

Read: “My Papa’s Waltz”1) Read the poem. Annotate as you read. Remember: talk to the text.

2) Underline the following words: papa, waltz, romped, slid, countenance, unfrown, held, scraped, clinging

3) Create a chart below the poem that includes the denotations and connotations of the underlined words. Please be sure to base your connotations on the poem.

4) Afterwards, write a paragraph that discusses the effects of the connotation on this poem.

Connotation ChartDenotation Connotation

papa

waltz

romped

slid

countenance

unfrown

held

scraped

clinging

What is tone?Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject, the characters or the readers, which is revealed by the author’s diction.

It’s how the AUTHOR feels.

ToneTURN AND TALK:

How would you describe the TONE of “My Papa’s Waltz”?

“This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams

I have eatenthe plumsthat were inthe icebox and whichyou were probablysavingfor breakfast Forgive methey were deliciousso sweetand so cold

What is the tone of “This is Just to Say”?Tone word: Insincere

While Williams attempts to say he is sorry, “Forgive me”, the insincerity of his apology is evident as he waits to ask for forgiveness until the last stanza of the poem. Additionally, he goes on to explain how good the plums were that she was saving for breakfast “they were delicious/so sweet/and so cold” (ln. 10-12). The fact that he rubs in how good the plums were shows he wasn’t sincere in his “apology.”

What is mood?Mood is the feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader. It is the atmosphere created by the author. Some literature makes us feel joyful, solemn, angry, etc.

Mood is often created by setting.

Mood belongs to YOU!

ToneTURN AND TALK:

How would you describe the MOOD of “My Papa’s Waltz”?

“Fall of the House of Usher” - PoeDuring the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing along, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher…I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled luster by the dwelling…[with] vacant and eye-like windows.

What is the tone of this excerpt from “Fall of the House of Usher”?Mood word: Depressing

The setting of this short story is at a house that is described as melancholy. Additionally, the day is “dull, dark, and soundless.” The depressing diction here creates a feeling of sadness. Additionally, the story is set in autumn, a time of year when the leaves are “dying” and the summer is “dying.”

Now that we’ve begun to

think about figurative language...

It’s time to practice analyzing the figurative language used in literature. The best way to do this is to use poetry.

We’re going to use a tool called TPCASTT to learn how to analyze poetry.

T is for TITLEBefore doing anything else, look at the title. Don’t read the entire poem!

The title should lend itself to inferences you can make about the poem

When looking at the title, you should be think to yourself, “what will this be about?”

YOU SHOULD: Write two sentences about what you think the poem will be about based off of the title.

P is for PARAPHRASEWhen paraphrasing, you are taking what is said in the poem and putting it into your own words as if YOU are retelling the poem. This is NOT a summary!

YOU SHOULD: Either go line by line or take small chunks of the poem and re-write the poem in your own words as if you are the author.

C is for CONNOTATIONConnotations are things that you think about when you see/hear/read something. Noting connotations allows you to better understand the attitude of the author

YOU SHOULD: Start by underlining and marking +/- signs by words with positive/negative meanings. Then underline all figurative language (metaphor, simile, alliteration). In your write up of connotations, explain all of your underlines and how they affected your understanding of the poem.

A is for ATTITUDEAttitude explains the way the AUTHOR feels about the subject. You can understand the attitude based on the connotations, words, and tone. When deciding the author’s attitude, you first must understand what the subject of the poem is

YOU SHOULD: Give a tone word that represents how the author feels about the subject and explain why this word represents this feeling.

S is for SHIFTShift refers to change. This change can happen in different ways. The tone can change, the attitude can change, the subject can change! Any change that occurs in the poem is known as a shift

YOU SHOULD: Explain if there is a shift, where it occurs, and why. This should be at least two sentences.

T is for Title, RevisitedLooking at the title the second time, you are evaluating if the name of the title was appropriate. Did the title help give you a better, deeper understanding of the meaning? How does the title explain what the poem is about? Did the title fit the poem? Why or why not?

YOU SHOULD: Your answer should be a minimum of two sentences and should address the questions above.

T is for ThemeTheme refers to the overall message or moral the author is sharing about life/mankind. There is a takeaway message from each poem that you read. When asked to provide a theme, you are thinking about the message that this poem conveys.

YOU SHOULD: State the theme of the poem and how you know it. What details from the poem pointed you in that direction? Your answer should be a minimum of two sentences.

Don’t be confused!

Let’s practice a TPCASTT - it will make the process feel better, I promise.

Using the TPCASTT graphic organizer, create a TPCASTT for the poem “My Papa’s Waltz.”

T

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A

S

T

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T

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C

A

S

T

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“Memories”by

Marya Zaturensky

Log into Canvas to read the poem “Memories.”

Working with a partner, complete a TPCASTT of the poem.

T: Title “Memories”Based on the title of the poem, this poem could center around the speaker’s memories. The memories could focus on the speaker’s childhood, personal struggles, or good experiences the speaker has had.

P: Paraphrase “Memories”I hear something, and then the mass of peopleAt twelve, move into the streetMy confused soul, with no directionCloses itself off, just like a frightened bird

I remember a peace I’ve had, peace that could make anybody happyThe soul of beautiful Russia, over the snow covered terrainIn the past, I heard a church bell in KievSaying goodbye

Once in the past, as the reapers sowed, I saw a light shining Over the somber heads of the reapers, the song of the river cried out

Here in this crowd in which I do not belong I hold onto the joy of my past

C: Connotation “Memories”In stanza 1, the speaker’s soul is personified as “bewildered,” and is compared to a “frightened bird.” The confusion the speaker feels has a negative connotation on the poem because the speaker is lamenting on his or her frustration with his or her current surroundings.

In stanza two,Russia is described as having a “heart” that is beating; also, the church bell in Kiev is described as “crying farewell.” Both examples of personification create a sense of nostalgia in the speaker who misses home.

Also, the writer uses words like “alien,” and “bewildered,” and “crowded” to create a negative connotation for one of the poem’s settings, New York. While Russia, presumably the speaker’s first home, has a positive connotation shown through words like “joy,” “heart,” and “beauty.”

The poem rhymes; although, the first stanza differs from the others. The first stanza, which describes New York, has the scheme of abba. The rest of the poem uses couplets. This difference alerts the reader to the values of the speaker.

A: Attitude in “Memories”There are two tones in this poem: nostalgic and anxious. In stanzas 1 and 4, the speaker is anxiously describing the large city of New York; a city where the speaker doesn’t feel welcomed or comfortable. In stanzas 2 and 3, the speaker is remembering his or her homeland, Russia. That longing for a simpler, more pastoral setting, creates a sense of longing or nostalgia in the speaker.

S: Shift “Memories”Just as there are two tones, there are two shifts in the poem. The shifts happen after the first and third stanzas. After stanza one, the author shifts both the subject and tone. This happens again after stanza three. Ultimately, Russia’s description is much more positive than New York's.

T: Title “Memories”

Title: After reading the poem, the memories the speaker has are specific to Russia, his or her homeland. The reader gets a sense that Russia is valued by the speaker for its beauty and peacefulness.

Theme “Memories”A possible theme for this poem is that memories of the past can help a person cope with change. The memories the speaker has of Russia helps the speaker get used to the hectic pace of New York.

“Harlem”by

Langston Hughes

Log into Canvas to read the poem “Harlem.”

Working independently, complete a TPCASTT of the poem.

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Formal Project: Figurative LanguageOne Pager

Today we will begin our Figurative Language One Pager. Instructions are available on Canvas. This will be a formal grade and will be due OCTOBER 15th.

End of Day 4