CLT Literary Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What term describes a deliberate pause or break within a line of verse, often indicated by punctuation?
- Enjambment
- Caesura (Correct answer)
- Volta
- Couplet
Correct answer: Caesura
A caesura is a rhythmic pause within a line of poetry, typically marked by punctuation or a natural speech break.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes an 'extended metaphor'?
- A metaphor using 'like' or 'as'
- A metaphor sustained throughout an entire poem or passage (Correct answer)
- A metaphor that exaggerates for comic effect
- A metaphor drawn from classical mythology
Correct answer: A metaphor sustained throughout an entire poem or passage
An extended metaphor, also called a conceit, sustains a single comparison across an entire work or substantial section.
Question 3: A poem written in unrhymed iambic pentameter is called:
- A sonnet
- A villanelle
- Free verse
- Blank verse (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Blank verse
Blank verse maintains consistent iambic pentameter without end rhyme, as used extensively by Shakespeare and Milton.
Question 4: Which technique does a poet use when a sentence or thought carries over from one line to the next without a pause?
- Caesura
- Enjambment (Correct answer)
- Anaphora
- Assonance
Correct answer: Enjambment
Enjambment runs a sentence across a line break, creating forward momentum and often a sense of breathlessness or urgency.
Question 5: What is the primary function of an allusion in a literary text?
- To define a difficult concept directly
- To enrich meaning by referencing a shared cultural or literary work (Correct answer)
- To exaggerate emotions for dramatic effect
- To repeat a phrase for rhythmic emphasis
Correct answer: To enrich meaning by referencing a shared cultural or literary work
Allusions draw on readers' familiarity with other texts, myths, or historical events to add layers of meaning efficiently.
Question 6: The term 'tone' in literary analysis refers to:
- The underlying moral lesson of the work
- The sequence of events in the narrative
- The author's attitude toward the subject or audience (Correct answer)
- The perspective from which the story is narrated
Correct answer: The author's attitude toward the subject or audience
Tone reflects the author's emotional stance—ironic, solemn, playful, and so on—toward the subject matter or reader.
Question 7: Which narrative technique begins a story in the middle of the action without prior setup?
- Flashback
- Frame narrative
- In medias res (Correct answer)
- Foreshadowing
Correct answer: In medias res
In medias res drops readers immediately into the action, with background context revealed gradually through dialogue or memory.
CLT Literary Analysis 2
What term describes a deliberate pause or break within a line of verse, often indicated by punctuation?