Comparing Visual and Written Texts

Analyzing a Painting

  1. The title of the painting is______.

The artist is ______.

  1. Write a brief description of the scene depicted in the painting.

______

Imagery consists of words or phrases that appeal to any of the five senses.

Mood is the emotional atmosphere in a literary work (how the word makes the reader feel).

Though we most often discuss the terms imagery and mood in connection with literary works, they can be applied to visual texts as well.

  1. Using details in the painting, complete the chart below.
  1. Look at the words you wrote in the graphic for Question 3 to describe the mood of the painting. Think about that mood in the context of what is happening. Then complete the statement:

The mood of the painting can be described as ______, which demonstrates the idea that ______.

The theme is the central message of a literary work, the idea the author wishes to convey about the subject. It is expressed as a sentence or general statement about life or human nature. To determine the theme of a work, the reader must think about all the elements of the work-including mood-to make inferences about the themes implied in that literary work.

Though we most often discuss the term theme in connection with literary works, it can be applied to visual texts as well.

5. Look at the idea you wrote for Question 4 and think about how the details that create the mood of the painting reveal the artist’s general statement about life or human nature. Then write a thematic statement about the painting. What does the painting have to say about the human experience? ______.

6. List three or more specific details from the painting that support this theme.

______.

Analyzing a Poem

Read your poem and then answer the following questions below.

1. Notice that there is no end punctuation in the poem and very little capitalization. Read the poem again to determine how it should be divided into sentences. Add periods and indicate which words should be capitalized.

2. Write a brief description of the scene depicted in the poem.

______.

Tone is a writer’s attitude toward a subject, character, or audience. It is conveyed through various literary elements including the writer’s diction.

Connotation refers to the feelings and attitudes associated with a word beyond its denotation, or dictionary meaning. The feelings we associate with words can be described as positive, negative, or neutral.

3. Complete the chart below by listing words from the poem that have positive connotations and words that have negative connotations.

Positive Connotations / Negative Connotations

4. Based on the words you listed in the chart above, what two words could you use to describe the tone of this poem?

______and ______

5. Now complete this statement, based on your analysis of the poem:

The tone of the poem can be described as ______and ______

which demonstrates the idea that ______

______.

The theme is the central message of a literary work, the idea the author wishes to convey about the subject. It is expressed as a sentence or general statement about life or human nature. To determine the theme of a work, the reader must think about all the elements of the work-including tone-to make inferences about the themes implied in that literary work.

6. Look at the idea you wrote for Question 5, and then write a thematic statement about the poem. What does this poem have to say about the human experience?

______.

7. List three or more words or phrases from the poem that supports this theme.

______.