What the exam asks
Word choice and sound devices fall under Big Idea Figurative Language (FIG)—specifically Skill 5.B, explaining the function of specific words and phrases in a text (essential knowledge statements FIG-1.A through FIG-1.D).
- In Section I (Multiple Choice): Expect direct grammatical and interpretive stems such as:
- “In line 14, ‘it’ refers to...”
- “The pronoun ‘their’ in line 8 most likely refers to both...”
- “The repetition of the phrase ‘still we wait’ primarily serves to emphasize...”
- In Section II (Question 1: Poetry Analysis Essay): Explaining how an ambiguous referent creates layered meaning or how alliteration links two contrasting concepts is a quick way to move your commentary from summary (which keeps an essay at 1–2 points in Row B) toward the analytical explanation that the 3- and 4-point levels reward.
Core ideas
Antecedents and referents (FIG-1.A)
A referent is a word or phrase (most often a pronoun like it, they, this, which, her, or a demonstrative noun phrase like that fateful hour) that points back to an earlier word, phrase, or clause—its antecedent.
In poetry, syntax is often inverted or stretched across multiple lines and stanzas. To find an antecedent:
- Check number and gender: A singular pronoun (it, its) needs a singular noun or whole clause; a plural pronoun (they, them) needs a plural noun or compound subject.
- Read backward by sentence, not by line: Ignore line breaks until you find the main subject and verb of the clause.
Ambiguous referents (FIG-1.B)
In everyday prose, an unclear pronoun is a grammar mistake. In poetry, an ambiguous referent—a pronoun or phrase that could grammatically refer to more than one antecedent—is often an intentional device. By refusing to narrow a pronoun to a single noun, the poet merges two ideas or leaves two interpretations open at the same time.