“The Pit and the Pendulum” Diction Paragraph Strengths Weaknesses Identification of mood Choice of supportive diction Lack of analysis tools we discussed (connotation, mono/polysyllabic, sound) Use of cacophonous

Thesis Statement Options Uses this formula to write a thesis (argument) about the purpose of Poe’s use of multiple moods: In ______________ (title) _____________ (author) uses _________________ (concrete issue or larger concrete idea in book) to reveal _____________________( abstract). In “The Black Cat” Edgar Allan Poe uses diction to reveal the multiple moods of the manipulative, first person narrator. OR In “The Black Cat” Edgar Allan Poe uses diction to reveal the multiple moods of the unreliable narrator.

Thesis and Paragraph 1 Identify Theme Statement. Include the title of the work and author. (Use the sentence you created on the previous slide.) Mood Paragraph 1: First paragraph or passage where the reader sees the narrator’s mood in the text. Example sentence: “The first mood the narrator’s diction demonstrates is _______________. At this point in the story…” EX: List examples of diction from that paragraph that support the narrator’s mood at this point in the story Example starter sentence: “The narrator uses the word _______.” Explain how that diction supports the narrator’s mood. Give details. Use the connotative associations of the words. This should be at least 2-3 sentences long. Example starter sentence: “The connotative meanings of (the first word you listed) is…” (Then be the commentator. Explain why those connotative meanings support your mood word.) Repeat the same process for each of the diction words you mentioned. Before you move on to your next chuck, check to make sure you connect your explanation back to your thesis.

Paragraph 2 **Remember to use transitional words to connect your chunks. Mood Paragraph 2: Second paragraph/passage where the reader sees the narrator’s mood in the text. List one example of diction from that paragraph that support the narrator’s mood at this point in the story Explain how that diction supports the narrator’s mood. Give details. Use the connotative associations of the words. This should be at least 2-3 sentences long. Repeat the above process for your second word. Before you move on to your next chuck, check to make sure you connect your explanation back to your thesis.

Paragraph 3 **Remember to use transitional words to connect your chunks. Mood Paragraph 3: Third paragraph/passage where the reader sees the narrator’s mood in the text. List one example of diction from that paragraph that support the narrator’s mood at this point in the story Explain how that diction supports the narrator’s mood. Give details. Use the connotative associations of the words. This should be at least 2-3 sentences long. Repeat the above process for your second word. Before you move on to your next chuck, check to make sure you connect your explanation back to your thesis.

How well do you understand this? Think about how well you understand this process. Evaluate your understanding on a scale of 1-10. Write your number at the end of your paragraph and explain why you feel that way. 1: I don’t understand this at all and I would not know how to start this if I had to do it on my own. 5: I grasp writing this type of writing, but I would need another walk through if I had to write this on my own. 10: I completely understand this. I could write a thesis paragraph without any guidance if I was given a passage I have never seen before.