Figurative Language and Tone: What is the writer’s attitude in each passage? And how is it created?
1. Read EACH passage below. As you read, highlight and label an example of figurative language in each one.
After you have highlighted each passage, think about the tone of each and answer the questions below.
2. “Looking at her [August’s] eyes, I could see a fire in them. It was a hearth fire you could depend on, you could
draw up to and get warm by if you were cold, or cook something on that would feed the emptiness in you. I felt like
we were all adrift in the world, and all we had was the wet fire in August’s eyes. But it was enough” (Kidd 181).
What is the tone of this passage?
What helps to create the tone?
comforting
figurative language
sad
happy
images
vivid words
Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage and explain HOW they help create the tone.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4 Advanced

list words/phrases
that support tone

provides in-depth
explanation of how
words/phrases
create tone
3 Proficient

list words/phrases
that support tone

explains how
words/phrases create
tone
2 Basic

list words/phrases
that support tone

incorrectly explains
and/or does not
explain how
words/phrases
create tone
1 Below Basic

lists words/phrases
that DO NOT
support the tone

may or may not
explain
3. “It was plain Rosaleen had fire in her too. Not hearth fire, like August, but fire that burns the house down, if
necessary, to clean up the mess inside it. Rosaleen reminded me of the statue of Our Lady in the parlor, and I
thought, If August is the red heart on Mary’s chest, Rosaleen is the fist” (Kidd 182).
What is the tone of this passage?
What helps to create the tone?
angry
sad
figurative language
powerful
images
vivid words
Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage and explain HOW they help create the tone.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4 Advanced

list words/phrases
that support tone

provides in-depth
explanation of how
words/phrases
create tone
3 Proficient

list words/phrases
that support tone

explains how
words/phrases create
tone
2 Basic

list words/phrases that
support tone

incorrectly explains
and/or does not explain
how words/phrases
create tone
1 Below Basic

lists words/phrases
that DO NOT
support the tone

may or may not
explain
4. “In truth I felt as if my life was stranded out on the high dive, about to leap into unknown waters. Dangerous
waters. I only wanted to postpone the plunge awhile, to feel my mother’s closeness in the house, to pretend I
wasn’t afraid of the story that had brought her here or that she might go and surprise me the way she had in the
dream, turning up [like a cockroach] six-legged and ugly” (Kidd 175).
What is the tone of this passage?
angry
nervous/anxious
sad
What helps create the tone? Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage and explain HOW they
help create the tone.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4 Advanced

list words/phrases
that support tone

provides in-depth
explanation of how
words/phrases
create tone
3 Proficient

list words/phrases
that support tone

explains how
words/phrases create
tone
2 Basic

list words/phrases
that support tone

incorrectly explains
and/or does not
explain how
words/phrases
create tone
1 Below Basic

lists words/phrases
that DO NOT
support the tone

may or may not
explain
5. “The air felt thick and charged, too thick to breathe. I stepped over beside August, letting my elbow touch her
arm, needing the weight of her next to me; and there was May’s flashlight, shut off and sitting on the wet ground.
It seems odd to me now how we went on standing there another minute, me waiting for August to say
something, but she didn’t speak, just stood, soaking up that last moment. A wind rose up, raking its sound along the
tree branches, hitting our faces like an oven blast, like the sudden breezes of hell. August looked at me, then
moved her flashlight beam out to the water” (Kidd 192).
What is the tone of this passage?
suspenseful/foreboding
sad/depressed
scared/terrified
What helps create the tone? Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage and explain HOW they
help create the tone.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4 Advanced

list words/phrases
that support tone

provides in-depth
explanation of how
words/phrases
create tone
3 Proficient

list words/phrases
that support tone

explains how
words/phrases create
tone
2 Basic

list words/phrases
that support tone

incorrectly explains
and/or does not
explain how
words/phrases
create tone
1 Below Basic

lists words/phrases
that DO NOT
support the tone

may or may not
explain
Figurative Language and Tone: What is the writer’s attitude in each passage? And how is it created?
1. Read EACH passage below. As you read, highlight and label an example of figurative language in each one.
After you have highlighted each passage, think about the tone of each and answer the questions.
2. “Looking at her [August’s] eyes, I could see a fire in them. It was a hearth fire you could depend on, you could
draw up to and get warm by if you were cold, or cook something on that would feed the emptiness in you. I felt like
we were all adrift in the world, and all we had was the wet fire in August’s eyes. But it was enough” (Kidd 181).
What is the tone of this passage?
comforting
sad
What helps to create the tone?
figurative language
happy
images
vivid words
Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage that help create the tone, and explain HOW they help
create the tone.
3. “It was plain Rosaleen had fire in her too. Not hearth fire, like August, but fire that burns the house down, if
necessary, to clean up the mess inside it. Rosaleen reminded me of the statue of Our Lady in the parlor, and I
thought, If August is the red heart on Mary’s chest, Rosaleen is the fist” (Kidd 182).
What is the tone of this passage?
angry
sad
What helps to create the tone?
figurative language
powerful
images
vivid words
Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage that help create the tone, and explain HOW they help
create the tone.
4. “In truth I felt as if my life was stranded out on the high dive, about to leap into unknown waters. Dangerous
waters. I only wanted to postpone the plunge awhile, to feel my mother’s closeness in the house, to pretend I
wasn’t afraid of the story that had brought her here or that she might go and surprise me the way she had in the
dream, turning up [like a cockroach] six-legged and ugly” (Kidd 175).
What is the tone of this passage?
angry
nervous/anxious
sad
What helps create the tone? Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage that help create the tone,
and explain HOW they help create the tone.
5. “The air felt thick and charged, too thick to breathe. I stepped over beside August, letting my elbow touch her
arm, needing the weight of her next to me; and there was May’s flashlight, shut off and sitting on the wet ground.
It seems odd to me now how we went on standing there another minute, me waiting for August to say
something, but she didn’t speak, just stood, soaking up that last moment. A wind rose up, raking its sound along the
tree branches, hitting our faces like an oven blast, like the sudden breezes of hell. August looked at me, then
moved her flashlight beam out to the water” (Kidd 192).
What is the tone of this passage?
suspenseful/foreboding
sad/depressed
scared/terrified
What helps create the tone? Pick out examples of two or three things from the passage that help create the tone,
and explain HOW they help create the tone.