Lit Devices Tips and Tricks for Second Semester

Grammar/Conventions Avoid O Contractions (isn’t, won’t) O Wishy washy language (seems, could mean) O Sentence fragments (Fitzgerald is articulate. Although Tom isn’t) O Comma splices (Nick describes her, he also criticizes her) Include O Quotations around specific diction (The word “giggled”…) O Italics for novels; quotations for “poems” O Commas before quotes O Subject/verb agreement O Pronoun/antecedent agreement O The group want/wants its/their money.

Citations O Under the example, include proper MLA citation for the text O Don’t have it? Find it! O Writer’s Inc. (or can show you how O Incorrect citation will earn you an REV

What earns a “10” O Sophisticated definition O Strong example of the term (not a stretch) O ONE SENTENCE summary. Two sentences of context. O Use of the term as an active verb when applicable (active voice always!) O Explicit connection of the specific example (quoted in the function discussion) to the overall purpose of its presence. (theme? Character complexity? Ambiguity?) O Other references or quotes to support this analysis O STRONG diction and varied syntax (SOS)

How do I earn a “10” O Start with the end in mind, not the term. O Think backwards – what are you trying to prove? (Create a thesis for this body paragraph) O Stay focused!!! Prove the term’s function…that’s it! Be succinct and effective. say what you mean in nuanced language O Use specific details and word choice – say what you mean in nuanced language O Avoid: very significant, important, interesting, does this very well

Sophisticated Definition O Cacophony: The use of harsh, unpleasant, or discordant sounds, usually achieved through the use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing, and unmelodious sounds, primarily those of consonants, to achieve desired results.

Strong Example Example: “Glory be to God for dappled things – /For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; / For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim / Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; … Whatever is fickle, freckled (who know how?) / With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;” Hopkins, Gerard Manley. “Pied Beauty.” First Semester Poems. Ed. Heidi Little. Mill Creek: Henry M. Jackson High School. Web.

One Sentence Summary Function: Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “Pied Beauty” is a curtal sonnet praising the beauty of “dappled” things (the curtal sonnet is a shortened Petrarchan sonnet invented by Hopkins himself); the speaker first praises God for imperfect things and goes on to provide examples of these imperfections.

Connections, diction, syntax Function: Scattered throughout both the praise and the examples is cacophony. The first and penultimate lines that draw the rest of the poem towards the glory of God features the hard sounds of “g”, “b”, “t”, “d”, “p”, and “th”: “Glory be to God for dappled things. / … He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change”. The cacophony continues throughout the first stanza, with the harsh “c” and “k” sounds emphasized in (“skies of couple-colour …”) and the “k”, “ch”, and “sh” sounds in “Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;”. The harsh and discordant sounds used in Hopkin’s descriptions not only emphasizes the imperfect essence of nature, but also demonstrates Hopkins’ theme regarding the beauty of “dappled”, or imperfect things. The idea that beauty is found in the imperfections and variations of nature is executed by Hopkins through intricate imagery created by the clamor of cacophony. The cacophony in the mentions of God suggests that these imperfections and variations are found even in God, and are the cause for varying beauties of creation.

O Cacophony: The use of harsh, unpleasant, or discordant sounds, usually achieved through the use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing, and unmelodious sounds, primarily those of consonants, to achieve desired results. O Example: “Glory be to God for dappled things – /For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; / For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim / Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; … Whatever is fickle, freckled (who know how?) / With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;” O Hopkins, Gerard Manley. “Pied Beauty.” First Semester Poems. Ed. Heidi Little. Mill Creek: Henry M. Jackson High School. Web. O Function: Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “Pied Beauty” is a curtal sonnet praising the beauty of “dappled” things (the curtal sonnet is a shortened Petrarchan sonnet invented by Hopkins himself); the speaker first praises God for imperfect things and goes on to provide examples of these imperfections. Scattered throughout both the praise and the examples is cacophony. The first and penultimate lines that draw the rest of the poem towards the glory of God features the hard sounds of “g”, “b”, “t”, “d”, “p”, and “th”: “Glory be to God for dappled things. / … He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change”. The cacophony continues throughout the first stanza, with the harsh “c” and “k” sounds emphasized in (“skies of couple-colour …”) and the “k”, “ch”, and “sh” sounds in “Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;”. The harsh and discordant sounds used in Hopkin’s descriptions not only emphasizes the imperfect essence of nature, but also demonstrates Hopkins’ theme regarding the beauty of “dappled”, or imperfect things. The idea that beauty is found in the imperfections and variations of nature is executed by Hopkins through intricate imagery created by the clamor of cacophony. The cacophony in the mentions of God suggests that these imperfections and variations are found even in God, and are the cause for varying beauties of creation.

Refreshing Rules O On time means O Submitted to Turnitin.com by Friday afternoon O Printed copy in my possession by Friday 12:50pm O Definition, Example, and Function with SOS COMPLETE O Original included with printed revision on due date in class *Failure to adhere to any of the above will result in a LATE submission and will not receive scoring*

Refreshing Rules O Terms and Texts O Any term – challenge yourself! O Any text from THIS semester O No extra credit entries this semester (it’s second semester; it should be tougher)

SOS Sentence opening Sheet