Bloom Ball Book Reports
A Dodecahedron of Literary Elements and Techniques
Division of Labor: Be sure to divide the work equally among your group members.
Format: Make your project as colorful as you wish. Include images, illustrations, clip art, etc., but
do not allow them to detract from the content of your literary analysis.
Evidence from the Text: Each panel must include at least one line or phrase from the text itself.
Include the author’s last name and page number in parenthesis. Example: “Quoted text” (Wharton
12).
Panel
1
Contents
Title and Author in MLA format
Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome. New York: Scribner’s, 1911. Print.
2
Author Biography
Include brief references to major life events, dates, other titles published. Describe his or her
literary style and major influences. Include any school or literary movement the author joined.
3
Literary Elements: Characterization
Describe character traits of the major characters. Identify antagonist/protagonist. Determine if
there are foils (secondary characters who highlight traits of major characters) or doubles.
4
Literary Elements: Point of View
How was the story told? First or third person? Limited or omniscient? Reliable or unreliable
narrator? How does this choice affect the reader’s experience? Why did the author choose this
perspective?
5
Literary Elements: Setting
How does the setting play a role in the text? Explain its connection to theme, conflict, or
characterization. Remember time is part of setting as well. What was the world like at the time
the plot events occur?
6
Literary Elements: Conflict
Describe internal and external conflicts in the text. Is it man versus nature, society, God, himself?
7
Literary Elements: Plot Structure
Include a one or two sentence summary of the plot. Identify the climax moment. How did the
story conclude? Does the author include any foreshadowing?
8
Literary Elements: Theme(s)
What are the author’s central ideas? What is his or her purpose? What message does the author
want to communicate to the reader?
9
Literary Technique: Metaphor, Simile, or Personification
How does the author use figurative language? Include several examples and label the techniques
being used. Describe the connotation these instances of figurative language create for the reader.
10
Literary Technique: Imagery and Mood
How does the author create word pictures to establish a certain mood or atmosphere? Consider
how two instances of imagery in the text might be juxtaposed? How might this juxtaposition
reveal the author’s theme or purpose?
11
Literary Technique: Irony
What contradictions exist in the text? Are there any examples of paradox?
12
Literary Technique: Symbol and Motif
What objects have significance in the text? How do these symbols relate to the theme? What
recurring images or words form a motif or repeating pattern in the text? To what effect?
Deadline: April 24
Be prepared to explain and display your group’s project.