Analyzing Literary Texts Flashcards
7 cards from real NJSLA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Analyzing Literary Texts flashcards as text
A poem about a thunderstorm describes the clouds as 'angry giants hurling lightning spears.' Which literary device is used?
Answer: Personification
Personification attributes human qualities or actions to non-human things, like calling clouds 'angry giants.'
A student reads a passage where the author describes the same event from two different characters' perspectives in alternating chapters. What is the PRIMARY effect of this structural choice?
Answer: It reveals how the same event can be interpreted differently based on individual experience
Alternating perspectives highlights how personal background and bias shape each character's interpretation of events.
In a novel, a minor character who appears only briefly but triggers the main character's quest for identity is best described as a:
Answer: Catalyst
A catalyst character sparks action or change in the protagonist without necessarily undergoing change themselves.
The following lines appear in a poem: 'The wind whispered warnings / Through willow and weep.' Which device is most prominent?
Answer: Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words, as with the 'w' sounds here.
An author ends a chapter with the sentence: 'She tucked the old letter under her pillow and promised herself she would never read it.' How does this sentence most likely function?
Answer: It creates foreshadowing by hinting at future tension involving the letter
Foreshadowing plants hints early in the text about events or revelations that will occur later in the story.
Which of the following best describes the difference between 'mood' and 'tone' in a literary text?
Answer: Tone is the author's attitude; mood is the emotional atmosphere the reader experiences
Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, while mood is the feeling or atmosphere created in the reader.
A student reads a fable where a fox who boasts about his cleverness is ultimately outsmarted by a crow. The lesson that 'pride leads to foolish mistakes' is best identified as the story's:
Answer: Theme
A theme is the central message or life lesson the author conveys through the events and characters of the story.