Color Marking
Color Marking is a technique using colored pencils to highlight important information in a piece of literature,
music or a poem.
Color Marking will be used to identify the following literary devices:
Theme (red)
Setting (blue)
Point of View (orange)
Conflict (yellow)
Figurative Language and
Poetic Devices (dark green)
* Metaphor
* Personification
* Imagery
* Simile
Characterization (pink)
Mood (green)
Symbolism (purple)
Motif (brown)
Steps for Color Marking:
1. Create a color key in which you designate a different color for each literary device you intend to
use.
2. Read (listen) to the passage at least once before beginning.
3. Use one designated color to highlight examples of ONE literary device from the list above.
Highlight all examples of this device in the same color. Helpful questions to ask yourself during this
process are:
 What patterns are emerging?
 What is the point of view and does it change?
 What type of conflict is present? Internal or External?
 How are dialogue and description used to show characterization?
4. Repeat the color marking process for every literary device that is present in the piece you are
working on, each time use the color that you have designated for the literary device in your color
key.
5. Be sure to explicate (explain your color marking by taking notes) your piece of literature as you
Color Mark. For example, you can’t just color mark for mood, you must write notes on what
mood(s) are represented.
*** Your Color Marking will be used to draw out text based evidence to support the use of literary devices in
written assignments. You will also be using your notes to help explain the significance of the devices you are
discussing.