What is one of the best ways to look for context clues in order to understand the meaning of a passage? Find the root word in a dictionary and then try to figure it out from there.
Find the meaning of a the word in a dictionary.
Infer meaning by reading between the lines and thinking about the connotation of words.
Read the sentence immediately following the sentence that has the word in it.

Read the excerpt from queen elizabeth's response to parliament's request that she marry. for i assure you (what credit my assurance may have with you, i cannot tell, but what credit it shall deserve to have, the sequel shall declare) i will never in that matter conclude any thing that shall be prejudicial to the realm. for the weal, good and safety whereof, i will never shun to spend my life; and whomsoever it shall be my chance to light upon, i trust he shall be such, as shall be as careful for the realm as you; i will not say as myself, because i cannot so certainly determine of any other, but by my desire he shall be such as shall be as careful for the preservation of the realm and you, as myself. in this excerpt, queen elizabeth says "for the weal, good and safety whereof, i will never shun to spend my life" in order to convince her audience that she is unbiased, intelligent, and rarely makes mistakes. inform her audience that she will work hard to win back the broken trust of her followers. persuade her audience that she will never make personal decisions that will harm england. remind her audience that she is the ruler and in charge of enacting laws that protect england.

Construct a written analysis of approximately 300−500 words about the poem “the cremation of sam mcgee.” your analysis should explain how the figurative language and literary devices contribute either to the meaning or to the narrative structure— plot, setting, characterization, and point of view—of the poem. your analysis should contain a thesis that is discussed throughout the essay. the essay should also contain textual evidence to support the analysis and a concluding paragraph. be sure to use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling, and write using a formal style with precise vocabulary. use terms from the list provided below to construct your analysis. ballad—a type of narrative poem that tells a story, usually in the form of a folktale or legend stanza—a division of a poem that consists of two or more lines diction—the selection and use of words that influence the style and tone of the poem connotation—the emotional suggestion or implied meaning of a word that goes beyond its dictionary definition denotation—the actual or dictionary definition of a word rhythm—the recurrence of sound patterns created by a series of stressed and unstressed syllables meter—the pattern of beats within a line of poetry created by the rhythmic structure of stressed sounds rhyme scheme—a pattern of rhymes in poetry tone—the attitude of the poet toward the subject or readers, separate from mood or atmosphere mood—the overall or prevailing feeling that is created in a story or poem theme—the central idea of the story that reveals something about human life or behavior as you write your analysis, consider these questions: what is the function of rhyme in the poem? what would the poem be like if it did not rhyme? how do the rhyme and rhythm affect or enhance the meaning of the poem? how does the use of imagery and figurative language affect the poem? how is the subject matter and conflict affected by the structure of the poem? did i conclude my analysis clearly, supporting my analysis?

"ten from the sea to the sand he walks, to look in the soil, but not in the box''!