Harriet Tubman and Literary Devices

Phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a message across and often uses comparisons not meant to be taken literally.

• figurative language

• denotation

• mood

• literal language

The attitude a writer has toward a subject.

• tone

• mood

• figurative language

• literal language

Literal or dictionary definition of a word.

• denotation

• connotation

The emotional or cultural associations of a word.

• connotation

• denotation

As they walked along she told them stories of her own first flight, she kept painting vivid word pictures of what it would be like to be free. This figurative language means:

• She described everything so vividly that they could clearly imagine the experience.

• She created artwork during their walk so they could see what she meant rather than just hear about it.

• She spoke in brief, factual statements that did not include any descriptive details.

• She kept changing topics so they wouldn’t focus too much on what her first flight was really like.

Somehow she would have to instill courage into these eleven people, most of them strangers, would have to feed them on hope and bright dreams of freedom instead of the fried pork and corn bread and milk she had promised them. This figurative language means:

• She needed to inspire them emotionally, giving them hope and confidence rather than just providing food.

• She realized she would need to prepare a much larger meal than the fried pork, cornbread, and milk she had originally planned to bring for everyone.

• She decided that strangers could not be trusted, so she would avoid speaking to them and let them find courage on their own.

• She believed that feeding people well was the only way to keep them motivated, so she planned to cook even more dishes to keep their spirits high during the journey.

“We got to go free or die. And freedom’s not bought with dust.” This figurative language means:

• Freedom requires real sacrifice and effort; it can’t be gained easily or without cost.

• Dust was considered valuable during that time, so people would often trade it for their freedom if they had enough of it saved.

• She believed that freedom could only be achieved by collecting resources like food, money, and supplies, not by risking their lives on the journey she planned for them.

• The group needed to avoid dusty roads because traveling on them would make it harder to stay unnoticed as they escaped.

“They never really slept, because if a twig snapped or the wind sighed in the branches of a pine tree, they jumped to their feet, afraid of their own shadows, shivering and shaking.” Which mood does this description create for the reader?

• Suspenseful

• Cheerful

• Confused

• Relaxed

“Sometimes she thought she had become nothing but a voice speaking in the darkness, cajoling, urging, threatening.” Which connotation is suggested by the phrase “a voice speaking in the darkness”?

• Safety and protection

• Isolation and strain

• Power and authority

• Celebration and triumph

When a reader identifies a cause-and-effect text structure, what are they looking for?

• The similarities between two ideas

• A problem and many possible answers

• One event that leads to another

• Events listed in the order they happened