Author's Craft: Analyzing Literary Techniques
An 11th-grade ELA worksheet focusing on identifying and analyzing various author's craft elements such as diction, syntax, imagery, and figurative language within literary texts.
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Author's Craft: Analyzing Literary Techniques
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Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Pay close attention to the author's choices in language and structure.
Passage from 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves on the trees, and the blue gardens of Gatsby's house, my first impression of the place was of a-a-a colossal affair by any standard. But I was aware of it all, and it was a warm, windy evening, and the trees were restless in the twilight. From the wing of the car, I could see the city dimly out on the island, and the city was like a painting, a pastel of light and shadow, and the river, a ribbon of silver, dividing the two. Everything was in motion, and the air was alive with the sound of music from Gatsby's distant parties, a constant, low thrum that promised endless revelry."
1. The phrase "great bursts of leaves on the trees" primarily serves to:
Highlight the natural beauty of the setting.
Suggest a sudden, vibrant arrival of spring.
Emphasize the extravagance and abundance surrounding Gatsby.
Create a sense of impending doom.
2. The simile "the city was like a painting, a pastel of light and shadow" contributes to the passage's mood by:
Suggesting the city is vibrant and full of life.
Creating a detached, almost dreamlike quality.
Emphasizing the harsh realities of urban life.
Foreshadowing a conflict.
3. The author's use of the word "colossal" to describe Gatsby's affair implies a sense of and .
4. The phrase "trees were restless in the twilight" is an example of , giving human qualities to inanimate objects.
5. Analyze the effect of the author's syntax in the sentence: "Everything was in motion, and the air was alive with the sound of music from Gatsby's distant parties, a constant, low thrum that promised endless revelry."
6. Identify and explain one example of imagery from the passage that appeals to the sense of sound.
7. The diction used in the passage suggests a tone of cynicism and despair.
True
False
8. In a well-developed paragraph, discuss how Fitzgerald's use of figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification) and sensory details in the provided passage contributes to the overall atmosphere and characterization of the setting.