Short Story Elements and Figurative Language

What's the difference between theme and motif

• Theme is abstract, motif is concrete

• Motif is abstract, theme is concrete

• Motif is implied, theme is clearly stated

• There is only one theme per story

Tags

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

CCSS.L.11-12.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

A motif

• is a narrative element with symbolic meaning that repeats throughout a work of literature

• may come in the form of reoccurring imagery, language, structure, or setting

• may also take the form of repeated music, visual components, colors or physical movements.

• is all of the above

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.8.2

In the movie "Snow White," the witch tries to sell Snow White an apple and says, "One bite and all your dreams will come true." In this story, the apple most likely symbolizes...

• Love

• War

• Temptation

• Peace

The protagonist of a story is bored at school. She looks out the window and longingly watches a bird fly through the sky. What does the bird most likely symbolize?

• freedom

• knowledge

• danger

• re-birth

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

What figurative language is the following:

"Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she."

• simile

• metaphor

• alliteration

• personification

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

Ana spent an unhappy night tossing and turning on her bed. The day before, a misstep had caused her to lose the volleyball match. As she sat up in bed the next morning, she could see the sun just peeking over the bushes in her back yard. As the sun rose higher and shined more brightly, Ana felt her spirits lifting. Feeling her confidence return, Ana thought to herself, I know I can work harder, and I'll make the team forget yesterday ever happened. In this passage, the rising sun symbolizes...

• it's morning

• volleyball

• a second chance

• a sleepless night

One hot summer day, a weary fox ran down a dusty road, desperate for food and drink. He had traveled for miles without finding so much as a berry to nibble or a puddle of water to sip from.

Suddenly, a beautiful smell filled the air. The fox sniffed and sniffed, his mouth watering in anticipation. Then he looked up. Several feet above him was a vine full of juicy grapes.

The fox jumped up, but he could not reach them. Then he backed up, took a running start, and leaped as high as he could. Still, the grapes remained out of reach. Again and again, he tried, with no success.

Finally, exhausted from his efforts, the fox gave up and went on his way. "Oh, well," he said, "I could tell those grapes were sour anyway..."

In this passage, the grapes symbolize...

• something that a person wants but can't have

• a desire to be happy and independent

• a delicious, satisfying meal

• a decision that is difficult to make

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.8.2

Sonia woke up with a smile on her face because she knew it would be a special day. Today was the day of the big ceremony: it was her 16th birthday, which meant her mother would give her the silver spoon that had been passed down in her family for generations. She quickly put on the dress she had picked out the night before and ran down the stairs. "I'm ready!" she declared. Which of the following is a symbol in this story?

• Sonia's dress

• the silver spoon

• Sonia's mother

• the stairs

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

With the following thesis, which topic sentence below connects the best?

• In the poem, Harper uses figurative diction repeatedly to prove author's purpose.

• In the poem, Harper uses figurative diction in order to introduce and explicate the part that music plays in her familial history.

• In the poem, Harper introduces the reader to the part that music plays in her familial history.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

Fill in the blank: A recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story is known as a ______.

• Theme

• Motif

• Plot

• Setting

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.8.2