1. Explain the mood of this passage. The mood of a piece of writing is how the piece makes the people feel. How do you think the Puritans felt after hearing this sermon? 2. Using specific examples, give one example of a metaphor, one example of a simile, and one example of an allusion that Edwards uses in this passage from the sermon to elicit this particular mood. A metaphor is a direct comparison between two things. Tommy is a rat because he lied to me. Tommy is compared to a rat, so this is a metaphor. Knowing this, can you find a better example of a metaphor? A simile is a comparison using like or as...for example: Tommy is like a big baby who cries all the time. Here Tommy is being compared to a baby using the words like or as, so it is a simile. Knowing this, can you find an example of a simile now? An allusion refers to something without directly saying it. How is hell referred to here without naming it as such? 3. What specific words (minimum of three) does he choose to make his tone clear? Remember, tone is the feeling of the piece. 4. What images (pictures in the listeners' mind) does Edwards use in the passage to make his tone clear? What effect do those images have on establishing the tone of the piece? What picture is it that comes to your mind after reading this sermon? 5. In the last two paragraphs of the sermon (refer to the Investigate page of this lesson) Edwards talks about an "extraordinary opportunity" his congregation has. What is this opportunity? How does his sermon persuade the congregation to take advantage of this opportunity? What is it he's trying to persuade the congregation to do? Also, what is it he does or says to make them think they must do this and do it today? |