But What does it all
Mean?!?!?!
Uncovering Meaning, Tone,
Figurative Language &More
Mrs. Smith- 2015
TONE
Has mom or dad ever said to you, “You better
watch your tone young man!” This is because,
typically, a negative attitude is coming through in
your voice.
Tone is the AUTHOR’S attitude towards the
audience, the subject, or the character.
You can recognize the tone/attitude by the
language/word choices the author uses. His
language will reveal his perspective/opinion (that
is, whether it is positive/negative) about the
subject.
Written Tone
Verbal tone is easier to detect
Teacher
Student
Big Brother
Little Brother
Written Tone can be more difficult.
Think about text messages. Have you
ever found it difficult to discern what
someone means when they text you?
I have. It’s because you can’t hear the
intonation in his or her voice! When in
doubt, readers must examine the
context of the story itself.
Tone must be inferred through the use
of descriptive words.
DESCRIBING TONE
Adjectives are used to describe
tone
Have a healthy “tone vocabulary”
Consider some words that
describe tone.
Sarcastic, sincere, embarrassed,
proud or frightened
The key to choosing the correct
tone is to carefully consider the
author’s word choice.
Mood is the overall
atmosphere of a piece of
literature
The mood is created by the
setting, the characters, and
their actions
DESCRIBING MOOD
Adjectives describe Mood
Remember that you are NOT
describing the way the person feels
Like tone, mood words can be either
positive or negative
Examples: relaxed, cozy, romantic,
gloomy, frightening, somber
Mood
Identifying the mood of a piece of
writing will depend on the number of
descriptive words you know to answer
the question: How did this paragraph,
this passage, this story make the
character or make you feel?
What is the mood of this picture?
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
TONE AND MOOD
Tone = Person + Attitude
Mood = Environment
So what does it all mean?
To identify the meaning within a given
text, it is important to first identify the
genre. Is this a persuasive piece? A
fictional piece? Is there bias?
Ultimately, you will want to find the
theme or over-arching idea or
message about life that the author is
sharing with you. Naturally, this is
directly related to the author’s
purpose.
A cautionary word:
A text’s meaning will not always be
served to you on a silver platter. Often
you will have to make inferences
(connections based upon the
information you are provided with) to
derive the meaning of a given text.
This will take time and will become
increasingly difficult as you progress
academically, so begin practicing
now!!!!
Figurative Language
Non-literal or figurative language refers
to words, and groups of words, that
exaggerate or alter the usual meanings of
the component words.
EXAMPLES:
Simile
A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to
compare one object or idea with another
to suggest they are alike.
Example: busy as a bee
Figurative Language cont.
Metaphor
The metaphor states a fact or draws a
verbal picture by the use of
comparison. A simile would say you
are like something; a metaphor is
more positive - it says you are
something.
Example: You are what you eat.
Figurative Language
Personification
A figure of speech in which human
characteristics are given to an animal
or an object.
Example: My puppy gave me a hug.
Figurative Language
Alliteration
The repetition of the same initial
letter, sound, or group of sounds in a
series of words. Alliteration includes
tongue twisters.
Example: She sells seashells by
the seashore.
Figurative Language
Onomatopoeia
The use of a word to describe or
imitate a natural sound or the sound
made by an object or an action.
Example: snap crackle pop
Figurative Language
Hyperbole
An exaggeration that is so dramatic
that no one would believe the
statement is true. Tall tales are
hyperboles.
Example: I just walked like a
million miles.
Figurative Language
Idioms
An idiom is a phrase where the words
together have a meaning that is different
from the dictionary definitions of the
individual words. These phrases are often
culturally bound.
EX: That was a piece of cake. When you
describe something as being a piece of
cake, you don’t literally mean that it was a
piece of cake—something sweet and rich.
You mean that it was EASY!!! 
Figurative Language
Clichés
A cliché is an expression that has
been used so often that it has
become trite and sometimes boring.
Examples:
1) Actions speak louder than words.
2) Love is blind.
3) The apple doesn’t fall far from the
tree.
Figurative Language vs. Literal
Meaning
Figurative language does not involve
literal meaning!!!! Literal meaning is
black and white—straight-forward. If I
say, “The dog is black.” I literally
mean that the coloration of the dog’s
coat is black. If I say, “He is dumber
than a box of bricks,” I do not mean
that he is literally dumber than a box
of bricks because that is impossible.
Connotation
Connotation refers to a meaning that
is implied by a word apart from the
thing which it describes explicitly.
Words carry cultural and emotional
associations or meanings in addition
to their literal meanings or
denotations.
Let’s look at one more:
I am firm.
You are being stubborn.
*Do you see how both words refer to a
refusal to change your mind about a
given decision although firm has a
more POSITIVE connotation while
stubborn has a more NEGATIVE
connotation?
Analogies and allusions
Analogy– An analogy is the
comparison of a subject to something
that is similar to it in order to clarify
the subject’s nature, purpose, or
function.
Some similes and metaphors are
based on analogies between qualities
shared by the subject and the thing to
which it is compared.
Examples of analogies:
You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.
You must be pretty annoying for someone to say
that.
I am going to be toast when I get home. This is
usually said when someone is in trouble with their
significant other.
He is like a rock. This means he is steadfast and
strong.
I feel like a fish out of water. This implies that you
are not comfortable in your surroundings.
How do analogies help us to better
understand what the author means?
Analogies compare one thing to
something else to give the reader a
better understanding.
Not illusions, allusions!
Allusion is a passing reference in a work of
literature to another literary or historic work,
figure, or event, or to a literary passage.
The reference is typically not explained, so
you will have to derive the meaning
yourself given what you know about the
other work. These are often more
complicated to understand. Not everyone
will recognize every single allusion within a
given text. Even I don’t!!!
Examples of allusions:
1) “Don’t act like you’re some Romeo,”
refers to Shakespeare’s play “Romeo
and Juliet.
2) “This place is the Garden of Eden,”–
biblical reference.
3) “You’re acting like a real Scrooge.”
This references Charles Dickens' A
Christmas Carol.
Whew!!!!!!!!
I know we have covered a lot today.
These are all literary devices that we
will continue to cover throughout the
year. I DO NOT expect you to
memorize all of this information today.
I just wanted to expose you to some
of the terminology we will be
discussing this year.