English

Critical Reading Unit

I. Literary Devices

  • Tone: The narrator’s or speaker’s attitude toward the topic, which can be conveyed through word choice and descriptive details.

    • Words to describe tone may include:
    • Frustrated
    • Joyous
    • Nostalgic
    • Fearful
    • Additional words that could describe tone:
    • _
    • _
    • _

  • Example of Tone Analysis:

    • Sentence: "My breathing calmed when the police officer arrived on scene; the road where my tire had blown out was isolated and dark. As the cop pulled up, he sauntered over wearing dark glasses that revealed nothing of his temperament; I bit my tongue rather than snap at him that I was only driving 3 mph over the limit."
    • Tone Portrayed: _

  • Imagery: The use of vivid descriptions meant to appeal strongly to the senses, supporting the mood and tone of the writing.

    • Five Senses:
    • Sight
    • Sound
    • Smell
    • Taste
    • Touch
    • Haunted House Description:
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __

II. Annotations

  • “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (1923) by Robert Frost:

    • Text:
      • "Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."
    • Reflect:
      • Tone of the poem: _
      • Speaker’s feelings in the moment: _
      • Draw a snowflake:

  • “Snow” (1999) by David Berman:

    • Text:
      • (Summary from transcript needed for full comprehension)
    • Reflect:
      • Sketch some imagery from the poem:
      • Summary of the poem: _

III. Pre-reading for “Powder” by Tobias Wolff

  • Collection Information:
    • Published in: The Night in Question ()
  • Setting: Takes place on Christmas Eve during Wolff's childhood, categorized under memoir.
  • Memoir Definition:
    • In your own words: __
  • Current Position: Wolff is a professor at: _
  • Important Facts on Wolff:
    • Parents divorced early in his life.
    • Traveled frequently with his mother until settling in Seattle, Washington.
    • Written works include: This Boy’s Life: A Memoir (1989).
    • Served in military as a paratrooper during Vietnam War.
    • Educated at University of Oxford and Stanford University.
    • Taught at Syracuse University (1980-1997).
    • Awards received:
    • 1985 PEN/Faulkner Award for The Barracks Thief.
    • Three O. Henry Awards (1980, 1981, 1985).
    • Received National Medal of Arts (2015).

IV. Post-reading Questions for “Powder”

  • Imagery: Copy a vivid imagery sentence from the story:
  • Tone of the story: Clarification required, as tone may change through the narrative. E.g.,
    • “The story ends with a ____ tone”
    • “When [this] happens, the tone is ____ ”
  • Message of the story: What is Wolff's intended point?

V. Literary Devices for “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1835)

  • Allegory Definition: A work that is meaningful on at least two levels:

    • Literal: The story of the tortoise and the hare.
    • Moral: __

  • Characteristics of Allegory: Characters and events have meanings, stitching various symbols together for a deeper message.

  • Types of Sound Devices: Used by authors to emphasize phrases within their works:

    • Alliteration: Repetition of initial sounds in close proximity (e.g., wild winds over the water).
    • Assonance: Repetition of the same vowel sounds (e.g., drive and higher).
    • Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds (e.g., cake and lock).

  • Write sentences about weather or animals incorporating alliteration, assonance, and consonance.

    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __
    • __

VI. Annotations for “A Poison Tree” (1794) by William Blake

  • Text of the Poem:
    • I was angry with my friend;
    • I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
    • I was angry with my foe:
    • I told it not, my wrath did grow.
    • And I watered it in fears,
    • Night and morning with my tears:
    • And I sunned it with smiles,
    • And with soft deceitful wiles.
    • And it grew both day and night.
    • Till it bore an apple bright.
    • And my foe beheld it shine,
    • And he knew that it was mine.
    • And into my garden stole,
    • When the night had veiled the pole;
    • In the morning glad I see;
    • My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
  • Allegorical Reflection: What is the allegory behind this poem?
  • Sound Effects Demonstrated: What types of sound effect(s) are at the end of the lines?

VII. Annotations for “Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666” by Anne Bradstreet

  • Text of the Poem:
    • __
  • Alliteration Found in the Poem: _
  • Consonance Not from End Rhyme: _
  • Message of the Poem: What key message does this poem convey?
    • __

VIII. Pre-reading About Bradstreet

  • Puritan Writing Purpose:
    • Students can list three purposes of Puritan writing:
      • a. ___
      • b. ___
      • c. ___
  • Puritan Beliefs Acronym: T U L I P

IX. Important Facts for Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Hawthorne’s Relationship with Puritanism:
    • Discuss connection to ancestors and the Salem Witch Trials.
    • The setting of “Young Goodman Brown” relating to Puritan age literature.
    • Key Facts:
    • Hawthorne grew up in Salem, Massachusetts.
    • Influenced by difficult personal experiences during the writing of The Scarlet Letter.

X. Post-Reading for “Young Goodman Brown”

  • Tone of the Story: What emotions does this narrative evoke?
  • Allegorical Message: What message does Hawthorne surmise through the story?

XI. Literary Devices for “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (1894)

  • Personification: Attribution of human characteristics to non-human objects.

    • Example: "I stepped out the door and was embraced by the kind sun."
    • Identifying words for personification: ___, __
    • Write original sentence of personification: __

  • Metaphor: A direct comparison between items, with tenor and vehicle.

    • Example of Metaphors for labeling:
      • Life is a highway (T: Life, V: highway)
      • She’s an early bird (T: She, V: early bird)
    • Implied tenor determination:
      • I could eat a horse (T: _)
      • He wears his heart on his sleeve (T: _)
    • Draw a cartoon of a metaphor or personification:
      • __

XII. Annotations for “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (1807) by William Wordsworth

  • Text of the Poem:
    • __
  • Reflection on Personification: What is personified in this poem? , Phrase from Wordsworth’s poem that you like:
    • _
    • Explanation for choice: __

XIII. Annotations for “Caged Bird” (1983) by Maya Angelou

  • Text of the Poem:
    • __
  • Metaphorical Reflection: What does the free bird symbolize? What about the caged bird?
    • __
  • Why does the caged bird sing, while the free bird does not?
    • Explanation: __

XIV. Pre-reading for Kate Chopin

  • Life for Women in late 19th Century: Conduct quick research and fill in details.
  • Important facts:
    • Details of Chopin’s upbringing and marriage:
    • ___
    • Influences on writing: ___

XV. Post-reading Questions for “Story of an Hour”

  • Setting Limitation Impact: Discuss relevance to the story's message.
  • Marriage Views: What perspective does the story convey?

XVI. Literary Devices for “2BR02B” by Kurt Vonnegut (1962)

  • Allusion Definition: A reference in one text to another text or historical occurrences. Examples:
    • Direct:
    • Indirect: _
  • Simile Definition: A comparison explained with like or as.
    • Examples to label:
    • Life is like a box of chocolates (T: Life, V: box of chocolates)
    • As if she were wind (T: she, V: wind)
    • Compose original similes:
    • __
    • __
    • __

XVII. Annotations for “Harlem” (1951) by Langston Hughes

  • Text of the Poem:
    • __
  • Reflection on Deferred Dreams: Choose two similes and explain their significance:
    • __

XVIII. Annotations for “The Weight of the Birds” (2010) by Paul Suntup

  • Text of the Poem:
    • __
  • Tone Reflection: Describe the tone of the poem
  • Allusion Identification: Discuss the line: "There were no tears because of the new law about that, and you never knew when they might be watching." How does it add depth?

XIX. Pre-reading Questions for 2BR02B and Reflection

  • Define Utopia and Dystopia:

    • Utopia: __
    • Dystopia: __

  • Life experience details about Vonnegut and impact on stories.

XX. Literary Devices for “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver (1983)

  • Symbol Definition: A visible sign representing something invisible, capable of being inherited or invented.

    • Examples of symbols:
    • A lion: _
    • A red rose: _
    • The color green: _

  • Theme Definition: Recurring topics or ideas that saturate a work of art or literature.

    • Examples of themes to describe:

  • Annotations for “Mirror” (1963) by Sylvia Plath:

    • Text and reflections on symbolism in the piece:

XXI. Annotations for “Ode to Some Yellow Flowers” (1999) by Pablo Neruda

  • Theme Discussion: Briefly discuss themes and symbolism in the poem.