Comprehensive Review—Analysis ❮ 135
- contrast /comparison, ex.
- personification, ex.
- onomatopoeia, ex.
- other figurative language, ex.
- The intended effect is to.
Remarks About the Passage
In its appeal to the senses, this loaded passage about fog contains about every descriptive
device possible to re-create the almost palpable scene for the reader.
About Style
Note: Although the style is a designated component of AP English Literature, it is
impossible to analyze an author’s presentation and purpose without discussing the many
elements associated with what we call style.
What Is Style?
Ask yourself a question—What is the difference between two comedians who are familiar
to you? They may both be funny, but in different ways. What makes one comedian’s humor
different from the other’s is his distinctive style.
Consider the following:
- Subject matter
- Language (diction)
- Pacing
- Selection of detail
- Presentation—body language
- Attitude toward the material
- Attitude toward the audience
This is what we call style. You do this all the time. You know Jennifer Lopez has a dif-
ferent style than does Adele.
If we were to give you two literary passages, you could probably tell which was written
by Hemingway and which was written by Dickens. How would you know? Simple; you
would use the same principles you considered with the two comedians:
- Subject matter
- Selection of detail
- Point of view
- Diction
- Figurative language/imagery
- Attitude
- To n e
- Pacing/synta x
- Organization
See how easy it is? The AP English Language and Composition exam expects you to be
able to recognize and to explain how these elements function in a given passage.
KEY IDEA
