The Grammardog Guide to Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll All exercises use sentences from the novel. Includes over 250 multiple choice questions.
About Grammardog Grammardog was founded in 2001 by Mary Jane McKinney, a high school English teacher and dedicated grammarian. She and other experienced English teachers in both high school and college regard grammar and style as the key to unlocking the essence of an author. Their philosophy, that grammar and literature are best understood when learned together, led to the formation of Grammardog.com, a means of sharing knowledge about the structure and patterns of language unique to specific authors. These patterns are what make a great book a great book. The arduous task of analyzing works for grammar and style has yielded a unique product, guaranteed to enlighten the reader of literary classics. Grammardog s strategy is to put the author s words under the microscope. The result yields an increased appreciation of the art of writing and awareness of the importance and power of language. Grammardog.com L.L.C. P.O. Box 299 Christoval, Texas 76935 Phone: 325-896-2479 Fax: 325-896-2676 fifi@grammardog.com Visit the website at www.grammardog.com for a current listing of titles. We appreciate teachers comments and suggestions. E-mail us at fifi@grammadog.com ISBN 978-1-60857-181-9 Copyright 2009 Grammardog.com L.L.C. Grammardog.com exercises may be reproduced for classroom and academic use only. Any other use requires express written permission of Grammardog.com.
All exercises use sentences from the novel TABLE OF CONTENTS Exercise 1 -- Parts of Speech..... 3 20 multiple choice questions Exercise 2 -- Proofreading: Spelling, Capitalization,..... 5 Punctuation 12 multiple choice questions Exercise 3 -- Proofreading: Spelling, Capitalization,..... 6 Punctuation 12 multiple choice questions Exercise 4 -- Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences..... 7 20 multiple choice questions Exercise 5 -- Complements..... 9 20 multiple choice questions on direct objects, predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions Exercise 6 -- Phrases.... 11 20 multiple choice questions on prepositional, appositive, gerund, infinitive, and participial phrases Exercise 7 -- Verbals.... 13 20 multiple choice questions on gerunds, infinitives, and participles Exercise 8 -- Clauses.... 15 20 multiple choice questions 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS Exercise 9 -- Style: Figurative Language.... 17 20 multiple choice questions on metaphor, simile, personification, and onomatopoeia Exercise 10 -- Style: Poetic Devices.... 19 20 multiple choice questions on assonance, consonance, alliteration, repetition, and rhyme Exercise 11 -- Style: Sensory Imagery.... 21 20 multiple choice questions Exercise 12 -- Style: Allusions and Symbols.... 23 20 multiple choice questions on symbols and allusions to time, mathematics, rules/punishment, combat, opposites, and dreams Exercise 13 -- Style: Literary Analysis Selected Passage 1.... 25 6 multiple choice questions Exercise 14 -- Style: Literary Analysis Selected Passage 2.... 27 6 multiple choice questions Exercise 15 -- Style: Literary Analysis Selected Passage 3.... 29 6 multiple choice questions Exercise 16 -- Style: Literary Analysis Selected Passage 4.... 31 6 multiple choice questions Answer Key -- Answers to Exercises 1-16.... 33 Glossary -- Literary Analysis.... 35 Glossary -- Grammar.... 46 2
THROUGH THE LOONKING-GLASS by Lewis Carroll Grammar and Style EXERCISE 1 PARTS OF SPEECH Identify the parts of speech in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: v = verb n = noun adj = adjective adv = adverb prep = preposition pron = pronoun int = interjection conj = conjunction 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Do you hear the snow against the window panes, Kitty? You can just see a little peep of the passage in Looking-Glass House, if you leave the door of our drawing-room wide open. They don t keep this room so tidy as the other, Alice thought to herself, as she noticed several of the chessmen down in the hearth among the cinders. He had a right to be a little annoyed with the Queen, for he was covered with ashes from head to foot. The Queen gasped, and sat down. Alice watched the White King as he slowly struggled up from bar to bar, till at last she said Why, you ll be hours and hours getting to the table, at that rate. But the King took no notice of the question: it was quite clear that he could neither hear her nor see her. She said afterwards that she had never seen in all her life such a face as the King made, when he found himself held in the air by an invisible hand, and being dusted. All the ashes will get into it there, now I think you re tidy enough! she added, as she smoothed his hair, and set him upon the table near the Queen. The King immediately fell flat on his back, and lay perfectly still. The horror of that moment, the King went on, I shall never, never forget! But Alice was too strong for him, and at last he panted out My dear! I really must get a thinner pencil. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! he chortled in his joy. 3
EXERCISE 1 PARTS OF SPEECH 14. 15. Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe. However, somebody killed something: that s clear at any rate. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. If seven maids with seven mops swept it for half a year, do you suppose, the Walrus said, that they could get it clear? All this time Tweedledee was trying his best to fold up the umbrella, with himself in it. Ah, well! They may write such things in a book, Humpty Dumpty said in a calmer tone. Always speak the truth think before you speak and write it down afterwards. But the Red Queen drew herself up rather stiffly, and said Queens never make bargains. 4
EXERCISE 2 PROOFREADING: SPELLING, CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION Read the following passages and decide which type of error, if any, appears in each underlined section. PASSAGE 1 PASSAGE 2 In another moment alice was through the glass, The Horse, Who had put his head out of the 1 1 and had jumped lightly down into the Looking- window, quietly drew it in and said It s only 2 2 Glass room. The very first thing she did was a brook we have to jump over Everybody 3 to look wheather there was a fire in the fireplace, seemed satisfied with this, thuogh Alice felt 3 4 and She was quite pleased to find that there was a a little nervous at the idee of trains jumping 4 5 real one, blazzing away as brightly as the one she at all. however, it ll take us into the Fourth 5 6 had left behind So I shall be as warm here as I Square, that s some comfort! she said to 6 was in the old room, thought Alice. (Chapter I) herself. (Chapter III) 1. a. Spelling 1. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 2. a. Spelling 2. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 3. a. Spelling 3. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 4. a. Spelling 4. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 5. a. Spelling 5. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 6. a. Spelling 6. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 5
EXERCISE 3 PROOFREADING: SPELLING, CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION Read the following passages and decide which type of error, if any, appears in each underlined section. PASSAGE 1 PASSAGE 2 They wure standing under a tree, each with an arm It s very provoking, Humpty Dumpty said 1 1 round the other s neck, and alice knew which was after a long silence, looking away from alice 2 2 which in a moment, becaus one of them had DUM as he spoke, to be called an egg very! 3 3 embroidered on his collar, and the other DEE. I i said you looked like an egg, Sir, Alice 4 4 suppose they ve each got TWEEDLE round at the gently explained. And some eggs are very 5 back of the collar, She said to herself. (Chapter IV) pretty, you know, she added, hoping to turn 6 5 her remark into a sort of complimint. (Chapter VI) 6 1. a. Spelling 1. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 2. a. Spelling 2. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 3. a. Spelling 3. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 4. a. Spelling 4. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 5. a. Spelling 5. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 6. a. Spelling 6. a. Spelling b. Capitalization b. Capitalization c. Punctuation c. Punctuation d. No error d. No error 6
EXERCISE 4 SIMPLE, COMPOUND, AND COMPLEX SENTENCES Label each of the following sentences S for simple, C for compound, CX for complex, or CC for compound/complex. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. In another moment Alice was through the glass, and had jumped lightly down into the Looking-Glass room. She was up on the chimney-piece while she said this, though she hardly knew how she got there. Alice looked on with great interest as the King took an enormous memorandum-book out of his pocket, and began writing. A sudden thought struck her, and she took hold of the end of the pencil, which came some way over his shoulder, and began writing for him. The poor King looked puzzled and unhappy, and struggled with the pencil for some time without saying anything. Beware the Jabberwock, my son! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch! I ve been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk. Alice wondered a little at this, but she was too much in awe of the Queen to disbelieve it. Alice did not know what to say to this, but luckily the Queen did not wait for an answer, but went on. But the Gnat only sighed deeply, while two large tears came rolling down its cheeks. She was rambling on in this way when she reached the wood. But the fat little men only looked at each other and grinned. The Walrus and the Carpenter walked on a mile or so, and then they rested on a rock conveniently low. 7
EXERCISE 4 SIMPLE, COMPOUND, AND COMPLEX SENTENCES 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Here he looked at Tweedledee, who immediately sat down on the ground, and tried to hide himself under the umbrella. In another moment the White Queen came running wildly through the wood, with both arms stretched out wide, as if she were flying, and Alice very civilly went to meet her with the shawl. As she said the words the brooch flew open, and the Queen clutched wildly at it, and tried to clasp it again. The confusion got worse every moment, and Alice was very glad to get out of the wood into an open place, where she found the White King seated on the ground, busily writing in his memorandum-book. Alice had seated herself on the bank of a little brook, with the great dish on her knees, and was sawing away diligently with the knife. He let go the bridle, and stretched out both his arms to show Alice what he meant, and this time he fell flat on his back, right under the horse s feet. 8
EXERCISE 5 COMPLEMENTS Identify the complements in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: d.o. = direct object i.o. = indirect object p.n. = predicate nominative p.a. = predicate adjective o.p. = object of preposition 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. And Alice got the Red Queen off the table, and set it up before the kitten as a model for it to imitate. Alice was very anxious to be of use, and, as the poor little Lily was nearly screaming herself into a fit, she hastily picked up the Queen and set her on the table by the side of her noisy little daughter. Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe. I never saw such a house for getting in the way! Never! I m quite content to stay here only I am so hot and thirsty! Whether she vanished into the air, or whether she ran quickly into the wood ( and she can run very fast! thought Alice), there was no way of guessing, but she was gone, and Alice began to remember that she was a Pawn, and that it would soon be time for her to move. Do I look very pale? said Tweedledum, coming up to have his helmet tied on. The other two dancers were fat, and very soon out of breath. Would you tell me which road leads out of the wood? Tweedledum spread a large umbrella over himself and his brother, and looked up into it. You must be very happy, living in this wood, and being glad whenever you like! Why, sometimes I ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. They gave it me, Humpty Dumpty continued thoughtfully, as he crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands round it, they gave it me for an un-birthday present. 9
EXERCISE 5 15. COMPLEMENTS Would you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem called Jabberwocky? 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. And the wabe is the grass-plot round a sun-dial, I suppose? said Alice, surprised at her own ingenuity. And a borogove is a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round something like a live mop. Hatta made a desperate effort, and swallowed a large piece of bread-and-butter. Alice took a piece to taste, but it was very dry. Then he went up and gave the door a kick with one of his great feet. 10
EXERCISE 6 PHRASES Identify the phrases in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: par = participle ger = gerund inf = infinitive appos = appositive prep = preposition 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. How would you like to live in Looking-Glass House, Kitty? She just kept the tips of her fingers on the handrail and floated gently down without even touching the stairs with her feet. So, resolutely turning her back upon the house, she set out once more down the path, determined to keep straight on till she got to the hill. You can t possibly do that, said the Rose: I should advise you to walk the other way. To her surprise she lost sight of her in a moment, and found herself walking in at the front door again. For some minutes Alice stood without speaking, looking out in all directions over the country and a most curious country it was. It was not a very difficult question to answer, as there was only one road through the wood, and the two finger-posts both pointed along it. So she wandered on, talking to herself as she went, till, on turning a sharp corner, she came upon two fat little men, so suddenly that she could not help starting back, but in another moment she recovered herself, feeling sure that they must be. They stood so still that she quite forgot they were alive, and she was just going round to see if the word TWEEDLE was written at the back of each collar when she was startled by a voice coming from the one marked DUM. This seemed quite natural (she remembered afterwards), and she was not even surprised to hear music playing. 11. The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing-wax of cabbages and kings and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings. 12. 13. With sobs and tears he sorted out those of the largest size, holding his pocket handkerchief before his streaming eyes. He ate more than the Carpenter, though, said Tweedledee. 11
EXERCISE 6 14. PHRASES Can you keep from crying by considering things? 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. She was in a little dark shop, leaning with her elbows on the counter, and opposite to her was an old Sheep, sitting in an arm-chair, knitting, and every now and then leaving off to look at her through a great pair of spectacles. Brillig means four o clock in the afternoon the time when you begin broiling things for dinner. Well, outgribing is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle. All this was lost on Alice, who was still looking intently along the road, shading her eyes with one hand. They placed themselves close to where Hatta, the other Messenger, was standing watching the fight, with a cup of tea in one hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. Make a remark, said the Red Queen: it s ridiculous to leave all the conversation to the pudding! 12
EXERCISE 7 VERBALS: GERUNDS, INFINITIVES, AND PARTICIPLES Identify the underlined verbals and verbal phrases in the following sentences as being either a gerund (ger), participle (par), or infinitive (inf). Also indicate the usage of the verbal by labeling the word or phrase as: d.o. = direct object p.n. = predicate nominative o.p. = object of preposition adj = adjective adv = adverb Verbal Usage 1. The very first thing she did was to look whether there was a fire in the fireplace, and she was quite pleased to find that there was a a real one, blazing away as brightly as the one she had left behind. 2. She was getting a little giddy with so much floating in the air, and was rather glad to find herself walking again in the natural way. 3. This time she came upon a large flower bed, with a border of daisies, and a willow tree growing in the middle. 4. Alice didn t like being criticized, so she began asking questions. 5. Aren t you sometimes frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you? 6. I only wanted to see what the garden was like, your Majesty --- 7. Of course the first thing to do was to make a grand survey of the country she was going to travel through. 8. It seems a shame, the Walrus said, to play them such a trick. 9. Here she checked herself in some alarm, at hearing something that sounded to her like the puffing of a large steam engine in the wood near them. 10. I hope you re a good hand at pinning and tying strings? Tweedledum remarked. 11. Alice didn t want to begin another argument, so she said nothing. 12. I beg your pardon! she added in dismay, for Humpty Dumpty looked thoroughly offended, and she began to wish she hadn t chosen that subject. 13
EXERCISE 7 VERBALS: GERUNDS, INFINITIVES, AND PARTICIPLES Verbal Usage 13. There s the White Queen running across the country! 14. I don t like belonging to another person s dream. 15. And the battle ended with their both falling off in this way, side by side. 16. I don t want to be anybody s prisoner. I want to be a Queen. 17. The great art of riding, as I was saying, is to keep your balance properly. 18. Alice ran to the side of the ditch to look for him. 19. And three of them (who looked like kangaroos) scrambled into the dish of roast mutton, and began eagerly lapping up the gravy, just like pigs in a trough! thought Alice. 20. Here I am! cried a voice from the soup tureen, and Alice turned again, just in time to see the Queen s broad good-natured face grinning at her for a moment over the edge of the tureen, before she disappeared into the soup. 14
EXERCISE 8 CLAUSES Indicate how the underlined clauses are used in the sentences below. Label the clause: d.o. = direct object p.n. = predicate nominative o.p. = object of preposition adj = adjective adv = adverb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Oh, what fun it ll be, when they see me through the glass in here, and can t get at me! Alice looked round eagerly and found that it was the Red Queen. Speak in French when you can t think of the English for a thing turn out your toes as you walk and remember who you are! How it happened, Alice never knew, but exactly as she came to the last peg, she was gone. Contrariwise, continued Tweedledee, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn t, it ain t. That s logic. It s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards, the Queen remarked. She looked at the Queen, who seemed to have suddenly wrapped herself up in wool. But the oddest part of all was that, whenever she looked hard at any shelf, to make out exactly what it had on it, that particular shelf was always quite empty, though the others round it were crowded as full as they could hold. Evidently Humpty Dumpty was very angry, though he said nothing for a minute or two. She thought that in all her life she had never seen soldiers so uncertain on their feet. They were always tripping over something or other, and whenever one went down, several more always fell over him, so that the ground was soon covered with little heaps of men. Alice had no more breath for talking; so they trotted on in silence, till they came into sight of a great crowd, in the middle of which the Lion and Unicorn were fighting. 15
EXERCISE 8 CLAUSES 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Haigha took a large cake out of the bag, and gave it to Alice to hold, while he got out a dish and carving knife. There was no one to be seen, and her first thought was that she must have been dreaming about the Lion and the Unicorn and those queer Anglo-Saxon Messengers. However, there was the great dish still lying at her feet, on which she had tried to cut the plum cake. The Knight looked down proudly at his helmet, which hung from the saddle. Of all the strange things that Alice saw in her journey Through the Looking-Glass, this was the one that she always remembered most clearly. After the fourth or fifth tumble he reached the turn, and then she waved her handkerchief to him, and waited till he was out of sight. But how can you talk with a person if they always say the same thing? Confess that was what you turned into! 16
EXERCISE 9 STYLE: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Identify the figurative language in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: p = personification m = metaphor s = simile o = onomatopoeia 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? I m sure the woods look sleepy in the autumn, when the leaves are getting brown. And certainly the glass was beginning to melt away, just like a bright silvery mist. For instance, the pictures on the wall next the fire seemed to be all alive, and the very clock on the chimney-piece... had got the face of a little old man, and grinned at her. And as in uffish thought he stood, the Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came! 6. In most gardens, the Tiger-Lily said, they make the beds too soft so that the flowers are always asleep. 7. 8. 9. 10. She s coming! cried the Larkspur. I hear her footstep, thump, thump, along the gravel walk! For the words of the old song kept ringing through her head like the ticking of a clock, and she could hardly help saying them out loud. Just then flew down a monstrous crow, as black as a tar barrel. The moon was shining sulkily, because she thought the sun had got no business to be there after the day was done. 11. If that there King was to wake, added Tweedledum, you d go out bang! just like a candle! 12. 13. Her screams were so exactly like the whistle of a steam engine, that Alice had to hold both her hands over her ears. This offended Alice a little, so there was no more conversation for a minute or two, while the boat glided gently on, sometimes among beds of weeds... and sometimes under trees, but always with the same tall riverbanks frowning over their heads. 17
EXERCISE 9 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. The prettiest are always further! she said at last, with a sigh at the obstinacy of the rushes in growing too far off... Humpty Dumpty was sitting, with his legs crossed like a Turk, on the top of a high wall such a narrow one that Alice quite wondered how he could keep his balance. Some people, said Humpty Dumpty, looking away from her as usual, have no more sense than a baby! What s this? he said, blinking lazily at Alice, and speaking in a deep hollow tone that sounded like the tolling of a great bell. And his answer trickled through my head, like water through a sieve. Long has paled that sunny sky: echoes fade and memories die: autumn frosts have slain July. 20. Ever drifting down the stream lingering in the golden gleam life, what is it but a dream? 18
EXERCISE 10 STYLE: POETIC DEVICES Identify the poetic devices in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. repetition e. rhyme 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. She puzzled over this for some time, but at last a bright thought struck her. Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! He left it dead and with its head he went galumphing back. And here they all began shouting together, till the air seemed quite full of little shrill voices. And still the Queen kept crying Faster! Faster!, but Alice felt she could not go faster, though she had no breath left to say so. Are we nearly there? Alice managed to pant out at last. Why, I do believe we ve been under this tree the whole time!... when Alice looked up, there was nothing whatever to be seen on the twig, and, as she was getting quite chilly with sitting still so long, she got up and walked on. Alice did not like shaking hands with either of them first, for fear of hurting the other one s feelings. The moon was shining sulkily, because she thought the sun had got no business to be there after the day was done. But wait a bit, the Oysters cried, before we have our chat. We must have a bit of a fight, but I don t care about going on long, said Tweedledum. The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday but never jam today. But if you hadn t done them, the Queen said, that would have been better still; better, and better, and better! 19
EXERCISE 10 STYLE: POETIC DEVICES 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. The pin had slipped, and the Queen had pricked her finger. But these, as it happened, Alice had not got. So the boat was left to drift down the stream as it would, till it glided gently in among the waving rushes. Humpty Dumpty took the book, and looked at it carefully. I sell them unto men, he said, who sail on stormy seas. I only said if! poor Alice pleaded in a piteous tone. 20
EXERCISE 11 STYLE: SENSORY IMAGERY Identify the type of sensory imagery in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: a. sight b. sound c. touch d. taste e. smell 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. I know what you d like! the Queen said good-naturedly, taking a little box out of her pocket. Have a biscuit? The Gnat amused itself meanwhile by humming round and round her head. So they walked on together through the wood, Alice with her arms clasped lovingly round the soft neck of the Fawn... A sudden look of alarm came into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had darted away at full speed. And here the two brothers gave each other a hug, and then they held out the two hands that were free, to shake hands with her. A loaf of bread the Walrus said, is what we chiefly need: pepper and vinegar besides are very good indeed. The carpenter said nothing but The butter s spread too thick! Come and look at him! the brothers cried, and they each took one of Alice s hands, and led her up to where the King was sleeping. He had a tall red nightcap on, with a tassel, and he was lying crumpled up into a sort of untidy heap, and snoring loud fit to snore his head off! as Tweedledum remarked. Selfish things! thought Alice, and she was just going to say Good-night and leave them, when Tweedledum sprang out from under the umbrella, and seized her by the wrist. Twopence a week, and jam every other day. Oh, please! There are some scented rushes! Alice cried in a sudden transport of delight. When he did speak again, it was in a deep growl. 21
EXERCISE 11 STYLE: SENSORY IMAGERY 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. She never finished the sentence, for at this moment a heavy crash shook the forest from end to end. You alarm me! said the King. I feel faint Give me a ham sandwich! But before Alice could answer him, the drums began. At this moment her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shouting of Ahoy! Ahoy! Check! and a Knight, dressed in crimson armour, came galloping down upon her, brandishing a great club. The White Queen gave a deep sigh, and laid her head on Alice s shoulder. And the waiters carried it off, and brought a large plum pudding in its place. The White Queen laughed with delight, and stroked Alice s cheek. 22
EXERCISE 12 STYLE: ALLUSIONS AND SYMBOLS Identify the type of allusion used in the following sentences. Label the underlined words: a. time b. mathematics c. rules/punishment d. combat e. opposites f. dreams 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. That s three faults, Kitty, and you ve not been punished for any of them yet. Curtsey while you re thinking what to say. It saves time. I ve seen gardens, compared with which this would be a wilderness. All this time the Guard was looking at her, first through a telescope, then through a microscope, and then through an opera-glass. Tweedledee looked at his watch, and said Half-past four. Let s fight till six, and then have dinner, said Tweedledum. He s in prison now, being punished. And if you take one from three hundred sixty-five, what remains? And it seemed to be a regular rule that whenever a horse stumbled, the rider fell off instantly. So they trotted on in silence, till they came into sight of a great crowd, in the middle of which the Lion and Unicorn were fighting. He s only just out of prison, and he hadn t finished his tea when he was sent in, Haigha whispered to Alice. There was a pause in the fight just then, and the Lion and the Unicorn sat down, panting, while the King called out Ten minutes allowed for refreshments! So I wasn t dreaming, after all, she said to herself, unless unless we re all part of the same dream. One Rule seems to be that if one Knight hits the other, he knocks him off his horse. Now the reason hair falls off is because it hangs down things never fall upwards, you know. 23
EXERCISE 12 STYLE: ALLUSIONS AND SYMBOLS 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Can you do Subtraction? Take nine from eight. Then fill up the glasses as quick as you can, and sprinkle the table with buttons and bran; put cats in the coffee, and mice in the tea and welcome Queen Alice with thirty-times-three! If they would only purr for yes, and mew for no, or any rule of that sort, she had said, so that one could keep up a conversation! In a Wonderland they lie, dreaming as the days go by, dreaming as the summers die. Ever drifting down the stream lingering in the golden gleam life, what is it but a dream? 24
EXERCISE 13 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 1 Read the following passage the first time through for meaning. Alice didn t like being criticized, so she began asking questions. Aren t you sometimes frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you? There s the tree in the middle, said the Rose. What else is it good for? But what could it do, if any danger came? Alice asked. It could bark, said the Rose. It says Bough-wough! cried a Daisy. That s why its branches are called boughs! Didn t you know that? cried another Daisy. And here they all began shouting together, till the air seemed full of little shrill voices. Silence, every one of you! cried the Tiger-Lily, waving itself passionately from side to side, and trembling with excitement. They know I can t get at them! it panted, bending its quivering head towards Alice, or they wouldn t dare to do it! Never mind! Alice said in a soothing tone, and, stooping down to the daisies, who were just beginning again, she whispered If you don t hold your tongues, I ll pick you! There was silence in a moment, and several of the pink daisies turned white. That s right! said the Tiger-Lily. The daisies are worst of all. When one speaks, they all begin together, and it s enough to make one wither to hear the way they go on! How is it you can all talk so nicely? Alice said, hoping to get it into a better temper by a compliment. I ve been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk. Put your hand down, and feel the ground, said the Tiger-Lily. Then you ll know why. Alice did so. It s very hard, she said; but I don t see what that has to do with it. In most gardens, the Tiger-Lily said, they make the beds too soft so that the flowers are always asleep. (Chapter II) Read the passage a second time, marking figurative language, sensory imagery, poetic devices, and any other patterns of diction and rhetoric, then answer the questions below. 1 Alice didn t like being criticized, so she began asking questions. Aren t you sometimes 2 frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you? 3 There s the tree in the middle, said the Rose. What else is it good for? 4 But what could it do, if any danger came? Alice asked. 5 It could bark, said the Rose. 6 It says Bough-wough! cried a Daisy. That s why its branches are called boughs! 7 Didn t you know that? cried another Daisy. And here they all began shouting together, 8 till the air seemed full of little shrill voices. Silence, every one of you! cried the Tiger-Lily, 9 waving itself passionately from side to side, and trembling with excitement. They know I can t 10 get at them! it panted, bending its quivering head towards Alice, or they wouldn t dare to do it! 11 Never mind! Alice said in a soothing tone, and, stooping down to the daisies, who were just 12 beginning again, she whispered If you don t hold your tongues, I ll pick you! 25
EXERCISE 13 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 1 13 There was silence in a moment, and several of the pink daisies turned white. 14 That s right! said the Tiger-Lily. The daisies are worst of all. When one speaks, they all 15 begin together, and it s enough to make one wither to hear the way they go on! 16 How is it you can all talk so nicely? Alice said, hoping to get it into a better temper by a 17 compliment. I ve been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk. 18 Put your hand down, and feel the ground, said the Tiger-Lily. Then you ll know why. 19 Alice did so. It s very hard, she said; but I don t see what that has to do with it. 20 In most gardens, the Tiger-Lily said, they make the beds too soft so that the flowers 21 are always asleep. 1. The words bark and bough-wough in Lines 5 and 6 are examples of... a. sarcasm b. pun c. analogy d. satire 2. The use of bough and boughs in Line 6 is an example of ALL of the following EXCEPT... a. humor b. wit c. sarcasm d. wordplay 3. ALL of the following are used to develop tone EXCEPT... a. dialogue b. personification c. humor d. rhetorical question 4. The underlined words in Line 8 are examples of... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 5. The underlined words in Line 18 are examples of... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 6. Lines 19-21 contain examples of ALL of the following EXCEPT... a. pun b. malapropism c. humor d. personification 26
EXERCISE 14 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 2 Read the following passage the first time through for meaning. Where do you come from? said the Red Queen. And where are you going? Look up, speak nicely, and don t twiddle your fingers all the time. Alice attended to all these directions, and explained, as well as she could, that she had lost her way. I don t know what you mean by your way, said the Queen: all the ways about here belong to me but why did you come out here at all? she added in a kinder tone. Curtsey while you re thinking what to say. It saves time. Alice wondered a little at this, but she was too much in awe of the Queen to disbelieve it. I ll try it when I go home, she thought to herself, the next time I m a little late for dinner. It s time for you to answer now, the Queen said, looking at her watch: open your mouth a little wider when you speak, and always say your Majesty. I only wanted to see what the garden was like, your Majesty That s right, said the Queen, patting her on the head, which Alice didn t like at all: though when you say garden I ve seen gardens, compared with which this would be a wilderness. Alice didn t dare to argue the point, but went on: and I thought I d try and find my way to the top of that hill When you say hill, the Queen interrupted, I could show you hills in comparison with which you d call that a valley. No, I shouldn t, said Alice, surprised into contradicting her at last: a hill can t be a valley, you know. That would be nonsense The Red Queen shook her head. You may call it nonsense if you like, she said, but I ve heard nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary! (Chapter II) Read the passage a second time, marking figurative language, sensory imagery, poetic devices, and any other patterns of diction and rhetoric, then answer the questions below. 1 Where do you come from? said the Red Queen. And where are you going? Look up, speak nicely, 2 and don t twiddle your fingers all the time. 3 Alice attended to all these directions, and explained, as well as she could, that she had lost her way. 4 I don t know what you mean by your way, said the Queen: all the ways about here belong to me 5 but why did you come out here at all? she added in a kinder tone. Curtsey while you re thinking 6 what to say. It saves time. 7 Alice wondered a little at this, but she was too much in awe of the Queen to disbelieve it. I ll try it 8 when I go home, she thought to herself, the next time I m a little late for dinner. 9 It s time for you to answer now, the Queen said, looking at her watch: open your mouth a little 10 wider when you speak, and always say your Majesty. 11 I only wanted to see what the garden was like, your Majesty 27
EXERCISE 14 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 2 12 That s right, said the Queen, patting her on the head, which Alice didn t like at all: though when 13 you say garden I ve seen gardens, compared with which this would be a wilderness. 14 Alice didn t dare to argue the point, but went on: and I thought I d try and find my way to the 15 top of that hill 16 When you say hill, the Queen interrupted, I could show you hills in comparison with which 17 you d call that a valley. 18 No, I shouldn t, said Alice, surprised into contradicting her at last: a hill can t be a valley, 19 you know. That would be nonsense 20 The Red Queen shook her head. You may call it nonsense if you like, she said, but I ve heard 21 nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary! 1. ALL of the following descriptions are parallel in function EXCEPT... a. Look up, speak nicely, and don t twiddle your fingers (Lines 1-2) b. Curtsey while you re thinking what to say. (Lines 5-6) c. I ll try it when I go home. (Lines 7-8) d. open your mouth a little wider when you speak (Lines 9-10) 2. ALL of the following descriptions are parallel in function EXCEPT... a. she had lost her way (Line 3) b. It saves time. (Line 6) c. I m a little late for dinner. (Line 8) d. the Queen said, looking at her watch (Line 9) 3. ALL of the following devices are used to characterize the Queen EXCEPT... a. nonsense b. imperative sentences c. pronouns d. sarcasm 4. ALL of the following words are part of the pattern of repetition EXCEPT... a. time b. way c. home d. little 5. Line 13 contains ALL of the following poetic devices EXCEPT... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 6. Line 21 contains an example of... a. metaphor b. simile c. personification d. hyperbole 28
EXERCISE 15 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 3 Read the following passage the first time through for meaning. So the boat was left to drift down the stream as it would, till it glided gently in among the waving rushes. And then the little sleeves were carefully rolled up, and the little arms were plunged in elbow-deep, to get hold of the rushes in a good long way down before breaking them off and for a while Alice forgot all about the Sheep and the knitting, as she bent over the side of the boat, with just the ends of her tangled hair dipping into the water while with bright eager eyes she caught at one bunch after another of the darling scented rushes. I only hope the boat won t tipple over! she said to herself. Oh, what a lovely one! Only I couldn t quite reach it. And it certainly did seem a little provoking ( almost as if it happened on purpose, she thought) that, though she managed to pick plenty of beautiful rushes as the boat glided by, there was always a more lovely one that she couldn t reach. The prettiest are always further! she said at last, with a sigh at the obstinacy of the rushes in growing so far off, as, with flushed cheeks and dripping hair and hands, she scrambled back into her place, and began to arrange her new-found treasures. What mattered it to her just then that the rushes had begun to fade, and to lose all their scent and beauty, from the very moment that she picked them? Even real scented rushes, you know, last only a very little while and these, being dream-rushes, melted away almost like snow, as they lay in heaps at her feet but Alice hardly noticed this, there were so many other curious things to think about. (Chapter V) Read the passage a second time, marking figurative language, sensory imagery, poetic devices, and any other patterns of diction and rhetoric, then answer the questions below. 1 So the boat was left to drift down the stream as it would, till it glided gently in among the waving 2 rushes. And then the little sleeves were carefully rolled up, and the little arms were plunged in 3 elbow-deep, to get hold of the rushes in a good long way down before breaking them off and for 4 a while Alice forgot all about the Sheep and the knitting, as she bent over the side of the boat, with 5 just the ends of her tangled hair dipping into the water while with bright eager eyes she caught 6 at one bunch after another of the darling scented rushes. 7 I only hope the boat won t tipple over! she said to herself. Oh, what a lovely one! Only I 8 couldn t quite reach it. And it certainly did seem a little provoking ( almost as if it happened 9 on purpose, she thought) that, though she managed to pick plenty of beautiful rushes as the boat 10 glided by, there was always a more lovely one that she couldn t reach. 11 The prettiest are always further! she said at last, with a sigh at the obstinacy of the rushes in 12 growing so far off, as, with flushed cheeks and dripping hair and hands, she scrambled back into 13 her place, and began to arrange her new-found treasures. 29
EXERCISE 15 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 3 14 What mattered it to her just then that the rushes had begun to fade, and to lose all their scent 15 and beauty, from the very moment that she picked them? Even real scented rushes, you know, 16 last only a very little while and these, being dream-rushes, melted away almost like snow, as 17 they lay in heaps at her feet but Alice hardly noticed this, there were so many other curious 18 things to think about. 1. Line 1 contains ALL of the following poetic devices EXCEPT... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 2. In Line 11 the obstinacy of the rushes is an example of... a. metaphor b. simile c. personification d. hyperbole 3. ALL of the following devices are used to develop tone EXCEPT... a. figurative language b. sensory imagery c. satire d. rhetorical question 4. ALL of the following words are part of the pattern of repetition EXCEPT... a. rushes b. beauty c. down d. little 5. The underlined words in Line 17 are an example of... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 6. Line 16 contains an example of... a. metaphor b. simile c. personification d. hyperbole 30
EXERCISE 16 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 4 Read the following passage the first time through for meaning. Of course you know your A B C? said the Red Queen. To be sure I do, said Alice. So do I, the White Queen whispered: we ll often say it over together, dear. And I ll tell you a secret I can read words of one letter! Isn t that grand? However, don t be discouraged. You ll come to it in time. Here the Red Queen began again. Can you answer useful questions? she said. How is bread made? I know that! Alice cried eagerly. You take some flour Where do you pick the flower? the White Queen asked. In a garden or in the hedges? Well, it isn t picked at all, Alice explained: it s ground How many acres of ground? said the White Queen. You mustn t leave out so many things. Fan her head! the Red Queen anxiously interrupted. She ll be feverish after so much thinking. So they set to work and fanned her with bunches of leaves, till she had to beg them to leave off, it blew her hair about so. She s all right again now, said the Red Queen. Do you know Languages? What s the French for fiddle-de-dee? Fiddle-de-dee s not English, Alice replied gravely. Who ever said it was? said the Red Queen. Alice thought she saw a way out of the difficulty, this time. If you ll tell me what language fiddle-de-dee is, I ll tell you the French for it! she exclaimed triumphantly. But the Red Queen drew herself up rather stiffly, and said Queens never make bargains. I wish Queens never asked questions, Alice thought to herself. (Chapter IX) Read the passage a second time, marking figurative language, sensory imagery, poetic devices, and any other patterns of diction and rhetoric, then answer the questions below. 1 Of course you know your A B C? said the Red Queen. 2 To be sure I do, said Alice. 3 So do I, the White Queen whispered: we ll often say it over together, dear. And I ll tell you 4 a secret I can read words of one letter! Isn t that grand? However, don t be discouraged. 5 You ll come to it in time. 6 Here the Red Queen began again. Can you answer useful questions? she said. How is bread made? 7 I know that! Alice cried eagerly. You take some flour 8 Where do you pick the flower? the White Queen asked. In a garden or in the hedges? 9 Well, it isn t picked at all, Alice explained: it s ground 10 How many acres of ground? said the White Queen. You mustn t leave out so many things. 11 Fan her head! the Red Queen anxiously interrupted. She ll be feverish after so much thinking. 12 So they set to work and fanned her with bunches of leaves, till she had to beg them to leave off, it 31
EXERCISE 16 STYLE: LITERARY ANALYSIS SELECTED PASSAGE 4 13 blew her hair about so. 14 She s all right again now, said the Red Queen. Do you know Languages? What s the 15 French for fiddle-de-dee? 16 Fiddle-de-dee s not English, Alice replied gravely. 17 Who ever said it was? said the Red Queen. 18 Alice thought she saw a way out of the difficulty, this time. If you ll tell me what language 19 fiddle-de-dee is, I ll tell you the French for it! she exclaimed triumphantly. 20 But the Red Queen drew herself up rather stiffly, and said Queens never make bargains. 21 I wish Queens never asked questions, Alice thought to herself. 1. The underlined words in Line 6 are examples of... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 2. ALL of the following devices are used to develop tone EXCEPT... a. humor b. absurdity c. sarcasm d. wordplay 3. The words flour and flower are examples of... a. homophone b. synonym c. antonym d. oxymoron 4. The underlined words in Line 15 are examples of... a. assonance b. consonance c. alliteration d. rhyme 5. ALL of the following descriptions are part of the pattern of humor EXCEPT... a. I can read words of one letter (Line 4) b. How many acres of ground? (Line 10) c. she ll be feverish after so much thinking (Line 11) d. she saw a way out of the difficulty (Line 18) 6. ALL of the following elements of comedy appear in the passage EXCEPT... a. farce b. burlesque c. parody d. wordplay 32
ANSWER KEY EXERCISES 1-16 EXERCISE 1: 1. prep 2. adj 3. v 4. conj 5. v 6. prep 7. conj 8. n 9. adv 10. adv 11. n 12. adj 13. int 14. adj 15. pron 16. v 17. pron 18. int 19. adv 20. v EXERCISE 2: PASSAGE 1 1. b 2. d 3. a 4. b 5. a 6. c PASSAGE 2 1. b 2. d 3. c 4. a 5. a 6. b EXERCISE 3: PASSAGE 1 1. a 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. d 6. b PASSAGE 2 1. c 2. b 3. c 4. b 5. c 6. a EXERCISE 4: EXERCISE 5: EXERCISE 6: EXERCISE 7: EXERCISE 8: EXERCISE 9: EXERCISE 10: 1. S 2. CX 3. CX 4. CC 5. S 6. S 7. S 8. C 9. C 10. C 11. CX 12. CX 13. S 14. C 15. CX 16. CC 17. CC 18. CC 19. S 20. CC 1. d.o. 2. p.a. 3. o.p. 4. p.a. 5. d.o. 6. p.a. 7. p.n. 8. p.a. 9. p.a. 10. o.p. 11. d.o. 12. p.a. 13. o.p. 14. o.p. 15. i.o. 16. p.n. 17. p.n. 18. d.o. 19. p.a. 20. i.o. 1. inf 2. ger 3. par 4. inf 5. prep 6. par 7. prep 8. ger 9. par 10. inf 11. inf 12. par 13. prep 14. ger 15. inf 16. appos 17. prep 18. par 19. appos 20. inf 1. inf p.n. 2. inf adv 3. par adj 4. ger d.o. 5. inf adj 6. inf d.o. 7. inf p.n. 8. inf adv 9. ger o.p. 10. ger o.p. 11. inf d.o. 12. inf d.o. 13. par adj 14. ger d.o. 15. ger o.p. 16. inf d.o. 17. inf p.n. 18. inf adv 19. ger d.o. 20. par adj 1. adv 2. d.o. 3. adv 4. d.o. 5. adv 6. adj 7. adj 8. p.n. 9. adv 10. d.o. 11. adv 12. o.p. 13. adv 14. p.n. 15. o.p. 16. adj 17. adj 18. adv 19. adv 20. d.o. 1. p 2. p 3. s 4. p 5. m 6. p 7. o 8. s 9. s 10. p 11. o 12. s 13. p 14. p 15. s 16. s 17. s 18. s 19. p 20. m 1. b 2. e 3. e 4. a 5. a 6. b 7. a 8. a 9. c 10. c 11. b 12. b 13. d 14. d 15. a 16. e 17. b 18. a 19. c 20. c 33
ANSWER KEY EXERCISES 1-16 EXERCISE 11: EXERCISE 12: EXERCISE 13: EXERCISE 14: EXERCISE 15: EXERCISE 16: 1. d 2. b 3. c 4. a 5. c 6. d 7. d 8. c 9. a 10. c 11. d 12. e 13. b 14. b 15. d 16. b 17. a 18. b 19. d 20. c 1. c 2. a 3. e 4. e 5. a 6. d 7. c 8. b 9. c 10. d 11. c 12. a 13. f 14. c 15. e 16. b 17. b 18. c 19. f 20. f 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. a 5. a 6. b 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. c 5. d 6. b 1. d 2. c 3. c 4. b 5. a 6. b 1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c 5. d 6. c 34
LITERARY GLOSSARY A Alexandrine. A line of poetry written in iambic hexameter (six feet of iambs). Allegory. A story with both a literal and symbolic meaning. Alliteration. The repetition of initial consonant or vowel sounds in two or more successive or nearby words. Example: fit and fearless; as accurate as the ancient author. Allusion. A reference to a well-known person, place, event, work of art, myth, or religion. Example: Hercules, Eden, Waterloo, Prodigal Son, Superman. Amphibrach. A foot of poetry with an unaccented syllable, an accented syllable, and an unaccented syllable. Example: another Amphimacer. A foot of poetry with an accented syllable, an unaccented syllable, and an accented syllable. Example: up and down. Anadiplosis. A type of repetition in which the last words of a sentence are used to begin the next sentence. Analogy. A comparison of two things that are somewhat alike. Example: But Marlow was not typical... to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze... Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Anapest. A foot of poetry with two unaccented syllables followed by one accented syllable. Example: disengage. Anaphora. A type of repetition in which the same word or phrase is used at the beginning of two or more sentences or phrases. Anecdote. A brief personal story about an event or experience. Antagonist. A character, institution, group, or force that is in conflict with the protagonist. Antihero A protagonist who does not have the traditional attributes of a hero. Antimetabole. A type of repetition in which the words in a successive clause or phrase are reversed. Example: Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy. Antiphrasis. The use of a word or phrases to mean the opposite of the intended meaning. Example: In Shakespeare s Julius Caesar, Antony s use of... but Brutus is an honorable man... to convey the opposite meaning. Apostrophe. A figure of speech in which the speaker directly addresses an object, idea, or absent person. Example: Milton! thou should be living at this hour. (London, 1802 by William Wordsworth). Archetypes. Primordial images and symbols that occur in literature, myth, religion, and folklore. Examples: forest, moon, stars, earth mother. warrior, innocent child, wizard. 35