Rebellions Are Built on Hope

 Read the poem below by Emily Dickinson - 

"Hope" is the thing with feathers --
That perches in the soul --
And sings the tune without the words --
And never stops -- at all --

What is the literary term that drives the meaning of this poem?
  

a. metaphor

b. simile

c. repetition

d. allusion

Scroll down for the answer.

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a. is correct.  We do not have what the complete comparison is, but we should be able to figure out that Hope is being compared to a bird.

OK, I Admit, This One Is Completely Unfair

 Read the following super short story by agentoboe:

     It is quiet here. I only perceive darkness, yet it is a blessing. There is nothing to fear, nothing to hide; everything is concealed in this temporary world—a universe that, in itself, seems infinite, but inevitably will be shattered. 
     Suddenly, light pierces our senses, suddenly, brutally. Our tranquility is ravaged as The Claws descend upon us. We remain silent as ever. 
     I am lifted out of our sanctum. I am prepared. This is my destiny, I think, as my very being is ripped apart. With one violent twist, and I exist no longer. No I am. Just I was. 

Look carefully - all the clues are here to tell us that this story is most likely told from the point of view of a(n) . . .

a. Oreo

b. little alien doll in the claw game from Toy Story

c. baby in the womb

d. flying purple space whale

Scroll down for the answer.

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Let's look at the clues.  At first it is dark.  That rules out b. since the little dolls have plenty of light to see by while talking to Buzz inside of the claw game.

The Claws - this clue would seem to point to b., but we've already ruled that one out.  Since our perspective is skewed, we can assume that our narrator really doesn't understand what is happening.  The Claws can eb anything grabbing thing.  That rules out d.  And really, did you need anything to rule out d.?  A purple flying space whale??????

The last clue is the violent twist, which (hopefully) rules out the baby in the womb and leaves us with an Oreo being pulled out of the pack and being twisted to open it up to eat the creme filling first.

a. is the correct answer.  I know for certain, because the story is entitled, "Oreo."

By the way, every normal person would have said "perspective" in the question instead of "point of view".  I said it the way I did because the NCFinal likes to say "point of view" not to mean 1st, 2nd, 3rd limited, and 3rd omniscient, but rather as "perspective."

This super short story and a few more like it can be found here: http://community.sparknotes.com/2012/07/10/read-five-super-short-stories/slide/6

Thanks, Ancestory.com!

Look at the following picture:

This is an example of:

a. pun     
b. allusion   
c. figurative language
d. situational irony







Scroll down for the answer.
















_____________________

d. is the correct answer.



Thanks to Friends of Irony for the picture.
~

Idioms

 Which of the following quotes taken from a movie is an example of an idiom?

a. from: The Avengers
Loki: I am a god, dull creature, and I will NOT be bullied by a ...

b. from: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Kirk: If we play our cards right, we may be able to find out when those whales are being released.

Spock: How will playing cards help?

c. from: Clash of the Titans

Perseus: If I do this, I do it as a man.
Draco: But you are NOT just a man.

d. from: Taken

Bryan: I have a daughter who wants to be a singer. I was wondering if you have any tips for her.
Sheerah: Yeah, I do. Tell her pick another career.

Scroll down for the answer.

________________________________________

To get this question right, you need to know the definition of idiom:

The term refers to a set expression or a phrase comprising two or more words. An interesting fact regarding the device is that the expression is not interpreted literally. The phrase is understood as to mean something quite different from what individual words of the phrase would imply. Alternatively, it can be said that the phrase is interpreted in a figurative sense. Further, idioms vary in different cultures and countries.

from: http://literarydevices.net/

For all of these, the only one that has a set expression is when Kirk is talking to Spock and says, "play our cards right," so the correct answer is b. 

When You Wish upon a Star

Look at the picture below:

What literary term is this an example of?

a. personification
b. alliteration
c. pun
d. irony









Scroll down for the answer.







______________________

c. is the correct answer.  A pun is a play on words and this is a play on "Once upon a time."

Thanks to http://thatspunny.blogspot.com/ for the picture.
~

She sells seashells, too.

​Read the following:


Wallace walked wearily while wondering where Wendal was.


What literary device does this sentence rely on?


A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Hyperbole
D. Personification

Scroll down for the answer.

________________________________________________




The correct Answer is B.


Thanks to Ezra for this excellent and egregiously terribly twisty tongue teaser. If you want more tongue twisters, try this site: http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/

Shameless Plug: Archetypes

 Never fear, fellow Extreme Teachers!  Your daily dose of state-test reading questions is still here - just scroll down to the next post for today's question.

Before you do, however, take a moment to check out this resource on archetypes:

There is no better way to unlock poetry to students who find it too esoteric than with archetypes.  These symbols worm their way into poems, novels, movies, songs, video games - you name it.  They are easy to grasp and open up potential meaning all around.  I have used the presentation in this lesson for regular level all the way to AP level with great success.  

It also comes with a lesson using a Keats poem if you wish to expand on it.

It is, by far, the most valuable lesson I have had in my 31 years of teaching.

Check it out!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/XET-Archetypes-11213013