World Literature - 0408

Unseen poetry

Example of response structure for unseen poetry

1. ‘________________’ presents …The poet uses… to allow us to ….

2. Through the use of … the poet clearly establishes…
3. The poet makes use of … to…
4. The poet vividly portrays … through …
5. In ‘______________’, the poet masterfully weaves together … to… the poem …

Base response structure off of themes/ literary devices, NOT stanzas. Each
paragraph should FOCUS ON A THEME OR LITERARY DEVICE which would be
demonstrated through quotes from the stanzas.

Introducing the poem + literal meaning

● The following poem entitled ‘_______’ explores…

● ‘_________’ is a poem that deals with…
● ‘_________’ is a poem that depicts…

Critical meaning

● On another hand, the poem also…

● Moreover , the poem also…
● More critically, the poem discusses…
● In addition/additionally, the poem highlights…

Mentioning literary devices or techniques

● The poet employs various literary devices such as (literary devices)

● (literary devices) are used to…
● The use of (literary devices) in the poem serves to…

Thesis statements

● In this response, we will explore the themes, poetic techniques, and overall
messages of this poem.
● The following paragraphs will attempt to…
● The aim of this essay is to…
● This essay intends to…

Impact on the reader

● The poet’s use of (literary devices) evokes a sense of (emotion) in the reader.
● The use of (literary devices) contributes to the reader’s understanding of …
● Through the poet’s choice of diction and other literary devices such as (literary
devices) , readers are made to feel (emotions)
Literary devices

● Imagery - Description appealing to the senses.

Effect: Creates vivid mental pictures to stimulate senses, triggers imagination
to visualise an image from the writer’s point of view.

● Hyperbole - over-exaggerated statements.

Effect: Intensifies emotions, emphasises a point, creates humour, or drama.

● Anaphora - when a particular word or phrase is repeated at the start of

clauses or phrases.
Effect: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, used
for emphasis or effect.

● Onomatopoeia - Words that phonetically imitate or resemble the sound they

represent.
Effect: Enhances sensory experience, creates vivid auditory imagery, and adds
realism to the text.

● Connotations - Emotional or cultural associations attached to a word, beyond

its literal meaning.
Effect: Evokes specific emotions, influences reader's perception, adds depth
and layers of meaning to the text.

● Euphemism - Substituting a mild, indirect, or less direct word or phrase for one
that is harsh or blunt.
Effect: Softens the impact of sensitive or uncomfortable topics, maintains
politeness, and conveys difficult messages more gently.

● Epistrophe - Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses

or sentences.
Effect: Emphasises a point, creates rhythm and impact, reinforces key ideas,
and adds a persuasive or rhetorical quality to the text.

● Alliteration - the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of

closely connected words.
Effect: Creates musicality, emphasises specific sounds, enhances rhythm and
flow.

● Repetition/Anaphora - Repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of

successive clauses.
Effect: Emphasises ideas, adds rhythm and impact.

● Consonance/Assonance - repetition of similar or identical vowel sounds

inside words, phrases or sentences.
Effect: Creates musicality and harmony, adds emphasis, reinforces specific
sounds, contributes to the overall auditory experience of the text.
● Sibilance - Repetition of hissing or s-like sounds in nearby words.
Effect: Adds a soft, soothing, or sinister quality, creates emphasis, enhances
musicality.

● Listing Technique - Presenting ideas in a list format.

Effect: Emphasises details, organises information.

● Enjambement - Continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond a line or

stanza.
Effect: Creates fluidity, blurs line/stanza boundaries.

● Stanzaic Structure - Arrangement of lines into stanzas.

Effect: Shapes the poem's organisation and meaning.

● Choice of Diction/Lexical Field - Selection of specific vocabulary.

Effect: Shapes tone, conveys emotion, defines style.

● Simile - Comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as."

Effect: Enhances understanding, creates vivid images.

● Metaphors - Comparison of two unlike things without using "like" or "as."

Effect: Implies deeper meanings, adds layers to description.

● Personification - Giving human QUALITIES to non-humans.

Effect: Makes abstract ideas relatable, enhances imagery.

● Pathetic fallacy - Giving human EMOTIONS to non-humans.

Effect: Evokes specific emotions, establishes atmosphere, enhances the
mood of the scene.

● Objectification - Treating a person as an object.

Effect: Creates distance, emphasises dehumanisation.

● Symbolism - Use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Effect: Adds depth, conveys abstract concepts visually.

● Tone/Mood/Atmosphere - Author's emotions conveyed in the writing.

Effect: Evokes specific emotions in readers.

● Rhetorical Question - Question asked for effect.

Effect: Engages readers, prompts reflection.

● Declarative Sentence - A statement.

Effect: Provides information, asserts a fact or idea.
● Dialogue - Conversation between characters.
Effect: Reveals character traits, advances plot.

● Juxtaposition - Placement of two things (usually contrasting) side by side.

Effect: Highlights differences, creates tension.

● Foreshadowing - Hinting at future events in the story.

Effect: Builds suspense, prepares readers for what's to come.

● Denotation - Literal or dictionary meaning of a word.

Effect: Establishes clear communication, avoids ambiguity.

● Connotation - Emotional or cultural associations of a word.

Effect: Adds layers of meaning, influences reader's perception.

● Analogy - Comparison between two similar things to explain something

unfamiliar.
Effect: Enhances understanding, clarifies complex ideas.

● Vignette - A short, descriptive scene that focuses on a specific moment or

character.
Effect: Captures a snapshot, adds depth to characters or themes.

● Verisimilitude - The appearance of being true or real in literature.

Effect: Enhances believability, immerses readers in the story.

● Paradox - A statement that contradicts itself but may reveal an underlying

truth.
Effect: Provokes thought, highlights complexities, creates intrigue.

● Oxymoron - A combination of contradictory words to create a new meaning.

Effect: Juxtaposes ideas, emphasises contrasts, adds depth.

● Motif - Recurring themes, symbols, or ideas in a literary work.

Effect: Reinforces central concepts, adds layers of meaning.

● Irony - A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens.

Effect: Creates surprise, emphasises themes, engages readers.

● Anachronism - Placing something out of its historical time period.

Effect: Highlights contrasts, adds humour, prompts reflection.

● Allusion - A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of

literature.
Effect: Adds depth, conveys complex ideas, engages educated readers.

● Allegory - A story or poem with a hidden meaning, often a moral or political

one.
 Effect: Allows exploration of abstract concepts, conveys deeper truths.

● Cliffhanger - A suspenseful ending that leaves the reader in anticipation.

Effect: Creates tension, encourages readers to continue, builds excitement.

Red with rage

sweat beaded his forehead
stared in disbelief
his voice trailed off in despair

Essay type questions

A more general -> themes/character development/plot

A macro-approach/ view of the text

Purpose -> to assess your understanding and grasp of the text.

Use the entire text -> integrate evidence, reference different parts of the text

Evaluate/compare/contrast themes/characters necessitating a deeper level of

thinking

Paper 3 set text

Extract analysis question

Essay type question

How does Tan vividly portray Luling's struggles as a result of her dementia?

Amy Tan vividly portrays Luling's struggles as a result of her dementia in "The
Bonesetter's Daughter" by masterfully weaving together the emotional and
psychological effects of memory loss on her character, highlighting the
consequences of memory loss and its impacts on personal identity and
relationships.

In Amy Tan's novel "The Bonesetter's Daughter," the character of Luling, Ruth's elder
mother, struggles with dementia, which significantly affects her life and
relationships. Tan's portrayal of Luling's struggles effectively conveys the emotional
and psychological challenges faced by individuals with dementia, as well as the
profound impact it has on those around them.

Idea 1 - emotional impact

Tan vividly portrays Luling's emotional struggles through her character's interactions
with Ruth. As Luling's memory begins to fail, she becomes increasingly disoriented
and confused, leading to feelings of frustration and despair. Tan masterfully captures
these emotions through Luling's conversations with Ruth, where she often forgets
important details or becomes lost in her own thoughts. This portrayal not only
highlights the emotional toll of dementia but also the deep emotional bond between
Luling and Ruth, emphasising the importance of their relationship in the face of
adversity.

Idea 2 - psychological challenges

Idea 3 - implications on personal identity and relationships

In "The Bonesetter's Daughter," Amy Tan vividly portrays Luling's struggles as a result
of her dementia by

- capturing the emotional, psychological, and social implications of memory

loss on her character.
- its impact on personal identity and relationships.
- importance of empathy,.

Chapter change

Extract 2 - “One day i remember … happen to Previous Auntie.” (Pg 174 - 179)

Important quotes: “... that twisted my heart and made me feel evil.”

-> “He was the man who stopped his cart… Mr Chang”
- Ironic portrayal of Chang.
- Focus on his characterisation and the role he plays in PA’s and the Liu family.
- PA’s silence and status prevent her from revealing Chang’s true nature.

-> “It seemed there was no end…Daughter?”

- Luling’s ignorance prevents her from believing PA and from knowing the truth.

Extract 3 - “I thought to myself … to Precious Auntie.” (Pg 177 - 179)

● Great Granny hits her head and dies.

● Chang notices Luling - Luling betrays PA and tells Chang that she knows
where the bones are.
● The symbolism and importance of bones.

Extract 4 - “I remember … I had changed.” (Pg 179 - 183)

Important quotes

● “They live in your same village … at all” -> foreshadowing/creates suspense.

● “Yes, I lived.”
● “You want to keep me here … as a nursemaid.”
 ● “The letter continued … sweet nature.”
- LL receives a proposal for an arranged marriage.
- “But the father came to me … about Luling” -> focus on characterisation of
Chang and his nature.

“Today he suggested … Peking”

-> Precious Auntie is not to come - Chang insisted on this so that LL could tell him
about the location of the bones.

“Precious Auntie flapped her hands … powerless”

-> LL feels independent - refuses to inform Mother that PA wants to accompany her.
-> A parallel between Ruth and LL - Quest for independence.
-> PA is traumatised by what happened to her, projects her fears on LL

“Day and Night … she loved me even more.”

How does Tan strikingly portray the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship
in this extract?

The Bonesetter’s Daughter is a novel by Amy Tan that explores the complex
relationship between a Chinese-American woman named Ruth and her elderly
mother LuLing, as Ruth deals with her mother's deteriorating mental health and
uncovers her mother's hidden past back in China. In this extract, Tan strikingly
portrays the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship through the use of
repetition, simple sentences and choice of diction.

Throughout the extract, Tan conveys how Luling and Mother barely have a bond as
well as a “surface-level relationship” through the repetition of the words “Mother" and
“Precious Auntie”. As Luling shares her memories “Yet GaoLing always had the honor
of sitting next to Mother, of sleeping in her k’ang, while I had Precious Auntie.”, Tan
conveys that Luling’s sister, Gaoling was the favorite child as Luling felt left out, thus
being comforted through Precious Auntie’s presence. By stating “Mother” instead of
“Ma”, it shows formality, illustrating the lack of closeness in their relationship, and its
repetition emphasizes this. The repetition of “Precious Auntie” conveys how she
plays such an important part in Luling’s life as Luling considers her a pivotal figure,
such as that she plays the role of a mother to her rather than her biological mother.
Repetition portrays how complex the mother-daughter relationship is through the
emphasis that Luling being emotionally closer to someone else than her biological
mother.

In the extract, Tan makes use of simple sentences such as “I was often jealous when
GaoLing received more attention from the mother we shared.” to depict Luling’s
distant relationship with Mother. This sentence conveys to the reader that
throughout Luling’s childhood