Themes, Mood, Tone, Imagery and Symbolism Horn Lake High School AP English IV

Imagery The language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching Using imagery words help readers feel like they are part of the story.

Symbolism Symbol is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

Using Symbolism The image takes on a greater meaning because of the repeated references to it in the story. Along with the real meaning, the image suggest meaning that is related to the character, plot, and theme.

Denotation The literal meaning of a word, the dictionary meaning. Example: Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angles sing thee to thy rest (sleep).

Connotation The implied meaning of a word. Example: Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angles sing thee to they rest (burial).

Mood Mood is the feeling that a poem creates in the reader. The mood colors the whole poem and creates a feeling in the reader. The length of the sentences, the words that are chosen, the punctuation used, and the sound of words all work to create the mood of a poem.

Tone Tone is a poet’s attitude toward the subject or audience of the poem. Look for clues in the language the writer uses to identify how the writer feels about the subject.

Example of Tone The Crocodile How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the water of the Nile on every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin! How neatly spreads his claws, And welcomes little fish in With gently smiling jaws!

Theme A main idea, moral, or lesson conveyed in a provided text. The message may be about life, society or human nature,. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly.

Theme is NOT the PLOT!! Plot describes what happen in a story; the sequence of events that takes the characters through a conflict to a resolution. The plot of a story takes place from beginning to end, while the theme may not be discovered until the text has been completed.

Plot vs. Theme Put simply, the plot is the actual storyline, whereas the theme is the main idea or thought the author is attempting to portray.

Themes A theme is not a word, it is a sentence. You do not have to agree with the theme to identify it. Themes are not explicit (clearly stated). Themes are implied. Themes are bigger than the story.

THEME is THE MEssage PLOT Is A LOT