May 19, 2025

Unveiling Depth: Exploring "Profound" Through To Kill a Mockingbird

Unveiling Depth: Exploring

Send us a text We explore the word "profound" through the lens of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, examining how symbolism carries deep emotional weight and intellectual significance beyond surface-level understanding. • Definition of "profound" - having deep meaning or emotional/intellectual intensity • Synonyms include deep, thoughtful, intense, insightful and meaningful • Examination of the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence unprotected • Analysis of other symbols including Mrs. DuBo...

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Send us a text

We explore the word "profound" through the lens of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, examining how symbolism carries deep emotional weight and intellectual significance beyond surface-level understanding.

• Definition of "profound" - having deep meaning or emotional/intellectual intensity
• Synonyms include deep, thoughtful, intense, insightful and meaningful
• Examination of the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence unprotected
• Analysis of other symbols including Mrs. DuBose's camellias and the knothole in the Radley tree
• Four contextual examples demonstrating how to use "profound" and "profoundly" in sentences
• Discussion of why profound moments are often quiet rather than loud

Write a sentence about a symbol in To Kill a Mockingbird explaining its profound meaning, then rewrite your sentence using the adverb "profoundly."


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00:09 - Introduction to Word of the Day

00:33 - Definition of "Profound"

01:19 - Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird

02:51 - Examples of "Profound" in Context

04:05 - Word Lab Challenge and Conclusion

WEBVTT

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Welcome to Premier Writing Lab's Word of the Day, the ultimate resource for mastering advanced vocabulary for exams and everyday use.

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Today we're diving into the deeper layers of To Kill a Mockingbird, where symbols aren't just literary tools, they're emotional signposts and through these symbols we uncover ideas that are not only meaningful but profoundly human.

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Let's get into it.

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Today's word is profound.

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It's an adjective and it's spelled P-R-O-F-O-U-N-D.

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Profound.

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To be profound means to have deep meaning, to be emotionally or intellectually intense or to go beyond the surface level.

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It describes something that is far-reaching in impact or significance, something that makes you think or feel deeply.

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Synonyms for profound include deep, thoughtful, intense, insightful, meaningful.

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Antonyms would be superficial, shallow, trivial, light, unimportant.

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Now let's return to Maycomb County, a place where the surface may seem simple, but beneath it lies a story rich with symbols that carry profound truths In To Kill a Mockingbird.

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Harper Lee uses symbolism to elevate the novel beyond a courtroom drama.

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She gives us the mockingbird, a creature that does nothing but sing and bring beauty to the world.

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It becomes a symbol of innocence, of goodness, unprotected.

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And when that innocence is destroyed, whether it's Tom Robinson, boo Radley or even childhood itself, we feel it Deeply, because the symbol is not just poetic, it's profound.

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The camellias Mrs DuBose gives to Jem after her death symbolize forgiveness and moral complexity, the kind that challenges our black-and-white view of people.

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The knothole in the Radley tree becomes a quiet symbol of communication and trust, and Boo Radley himself becomes a living symbol of misunderstood goodness, hidden from society, yet watching and caring from the shadows.

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These symbols aren't just decoration.

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They hold emotional weight.

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They point us toward the novel's deeper questions what is justice?

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What is courage?

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What does it mean to lose something precious and still carry on?

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In every case, the symbols Harper Lee gives us aren't just meaningful, they're profound.

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They linger, they shift how we see the characters and how we see the world.

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Now listen to how the word profound can be used in a variety of contexts.

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Example 1.

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Adjective Form Describing Meaning.

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Harper Lee's use of the mockingbird as a symbol reveals a profound message about the cost of injustice.

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Here profound shows the deep emotional and intellectual impact of the symbol.

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Example 2.

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Adjective Form Describing Emotion.

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Scout experiences a profound change in perspective after meeting Boo Radley face-to-face.

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This emphasizes how significant and life-changing the moment is for her.

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Example 3.

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Describing Ideas or Concepts.

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The novel explores profound ideas about empathy, justice and growing up.

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Profound helps describe the weight and complexity of the book's central themes.

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Example 4.

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Related Form Profoundly Adverb.

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Jem is profoundly affected by the outcome of the trial, struggling to understand the town's injustice.

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The word profoundly highlights the deep emotional impact on his character.

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Why this word matters?

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Profound helps us talk about more than just facts.

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It helps us describe feelings, transformations and ideas that reach below the surface.

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In literature and in life, the most powerful moments are rarely loud.

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They are often quiet and profound.

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Before we wrap up, here's your Word Lab challenge.

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Write a sentence about one of the symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird and explain its profound meaning to either Scout Jem or the reader.

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Then try rewriting your sentence using the adverb profoundly.

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Thanks for tuning in to Premier Writing Lab's Word of the Day.

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Until next time, keep building the vocabulary.

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You need to succeed, one word at a time.