The Unseen: how do you figure it out?
This is a posting inspired by my daughter's question. I always believe that if I help others I will somehow benefit from it myself. If I want indeed for my daughter to benefit from what I know, I guess the most unintrusive way I can share my experience with her is through a medium that will hold her interest. I try.....
Literature is the one subject where the UNSEEN can take on a spectre one associates with The Twilight Zone. But seriously, for those of you who are taking on the UNSEEN Prose or Poem, what are you really being tested on?
The terms "unseen prose" and "unseen poetry" are really just convenient ways of naming a type of question in Literature exams. Typically you might be assigned a set text in the form of a novel, a collection of short stories, an anthology of poems or a play. This means you will expected to answer questions pertaining to the set text in the exams.
As for the UNSEEN, you are expected to CRITIQUE a literary piece that you have not been taught or introduced to before. If it is UNSEEN PROSE, it could be a literary essay, an excerpt from a short story or novel. Key questions which are commonly asked are questions pertaining to IRONY and TONE.
I recommend a first reading, unaffected by the questions. Zip then quickly to the questions, noting the key concepts that the questions cover. Most often than not, if there are different characters in the story, you really have to "read aloud" mentally so that you can hear for yourself the characters and examine their intent. Very likely, you will uncover what the author intended for you to find out. Good writing invariably leaves the discovery to the reader. FOr more on IRONY, refer to my previous posting.
AS for TONE, this is a deceptively simple concept. It just means the emotional note sounded by the voice indicated, be it that of the narrator or a character referred to. Problem is describing accurately the TONE that you hear. I always told my pupils that if we went through the question on TONE in class, everyone would get it right cos the moment someone actually uses the right word to describe the TONE, everyone would see it and agree readily. So arm yourself with a necessary set of words regarding TONE: sarcastic, derisive, embittered, melancholic, regretful, remorseful, grateful, authoritative, arrogant, overbearing, pathetic, sympathetic, the list goes on.. you get the point.
Go figure.
Literature is the one subject where the UNSEEN can take on a spectre one associates with The Twilight Zone. But seriously, for those of you who are taking on the UNSEEN Prose or Poem, what are you really being tested on?
The terms "unseen prose" and "unseen poetry" are really just convenient ways of naming a type of question in Literature exams. Typically you might be assigned a set text in the form of a novel, a collection of short stories, an anthology of poems or a play. This means you will expected to answer questions pertaining to the set text in the exams.
As for the UNSEEN, you are expected to CRITIQUE a literary piece that you have not been taught or introduced to before. If it is UNSEEN PROSE, it could be a literary essay, an excerpt from a short story or novel. Key questions which are commonly asked are questions pertaining to IRONY and TONE.
I recommend a first reading, unaffected by the questions. Zip then quickly to the questions, noting the key concepts that the questions cover. Most often than not, if there are different characters in the story, you really have to "read aloud" mentally so that you can hear for yourself the characters and examine their intent. Very likely, you will uncover what the author intended for you to find out. Good writing invariably leaves the discovery to the reader. FOr more on IRONY, refer to my previous posting.
AS for TONE, this is a deceptively simple concept. It just means the emotional note sounded by the voice indicated, be it that of the narrator or a character referred to. Problem is describing accurately the TONE that you hear. I always told my pupils that if we went through the question on TONE in class, everyone would get it right cos the moment someone actually uses the right word to describe the TONE, everyone would see it and agree readily. So arm yourself with a necessary set of words regarding TONE: sarcastic, derisive, embittered, melancholic, regretful, remorseful, grateful, authoritative, arrogant, overbearing, pathetic, sympathetic, the list goes on.. you get the point.
Go figure.
Comments
I find the association with food very gratifying. I serve a real need. If the lunch is good, the neurolinguistic connection is veli powderful.