Monday, September 26, 2011

Literature: AFA Literary Devices

Literary Devices:
This is just to help you see the literary devices in the material you've been reading the past three weeks. Don't worry if you can't remember them all, we'll be going over them through out the year. Also, I listed a couple that weren't mentioned in the last class; they're listed here for future reference.

Chapters 4-6 Literary focus: style - literary devices

Hunt uses various types of literary devices in Across Five Aprils. Her greatest strength in helping articulate her story is through one specific literary device. It is used throughout the entire book --dialect. Dialect is specific language that is used by a particular a group of people or in particular place.


REVIEW: Literary Devices found in chapters 1-3:
1. simile - "She was a small, spare woman with large dark eyes and skin as brown and dry as leather."
By comparing her skin to leather, one understands the 'roughness' and 'dryness' of Mrs. Creighton's skin.

Here you can see dried up leather and brand new leather:
Worn, dried leather vs new leather

2. She uses alliteration.

"...but she saw signs of special talents..."
3. Personification
"Oak, maple, and poplar; sumac, wild-grape, and dogwood -- they all smiled at him that afternoon, and they said, 'What war, little boy, what war?'"
4. allusion
"'...old feller's name was, the one that done all the figgerin'?' 'His name was Copernicus.'"
5. cliche
"Well, the pot can't call the kettle black--..."
6. assonance 
 "Pretty girls in their best summer dresses begged for funds..."





Literary Devices: Chapters 4-6 
Just like last week, you're still focusing on the importance of literary devices. Continue to pay attention to the devices Hunt uses. Below are a few examples of the allusions she used in chapter 4-6.

Allusion "Thou too, Brutus?"p56 - This is an allusion to an event in history. Specifically, Julius Caesar being opposed by his closest friend, Brutus. Shad feels similarly about Jeb opposing him.(Note: If you are still NOT comfortable in understanding allusions, don't worry. I'll be explaining them through out this school year.)


You can find a more literary devices on the following pages of the book:
(I'm using the Berkley Jam Book edition. ISBN # 0-425-18278-9, so unless you have the same version, your pages will be slightly different.)
  • Simile, p66 - end of chapter 4
  • Allusion - p69 - beginning of chapter 5
  • Assonance - p71 - beginning of chapter 5
  • Personification - p75 - middle of chapter 5


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