Allusion
A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art ; ex : Chocolate is my Achilles' Heel
Character
A person in a story ; ex : The big bad wolf was a character in the story The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf
Climax
the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex. ; ex : When the big bad wolf approaches Pig 3's house and huffs and puffs and tries to blow the house down
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces ; ex : "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell is about the external conflict between the evil General Zaroff and the hunter Rainsford
Dialect
a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group. ; ex : Cantonese to the Chinese language
Exposition
Background information presented in a literary work. ; ex : when the audience gets told who they are reading about like her name is Liz she's 25
Foreshadowing
the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot ; ex : Her early interest in airplanes foreshadowed her later career as a pilot
dramatic irony
when the audience or reader knows something the characters do not ; ex : "The killer is upstairs don't go up there" say the audience
situational irony
what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate ; ex : A man takes a step back to avoid getting sprinkled by a wet dog, and falls into a swimming pool
verbal irony
A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant ; ex : Awesome! another homework packet
Plot
The sequence of events in a story ; ex : Every storyline has many events like the big bad wolf story
Simile
A comparison using "like" or "as" ; ex : as brave as a lion
Metaphor
A comparison without using like or as ; ex : Her heart is gold
Personification
the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea ; ex : the sun peeked happily from behind the clouds
1st person point of view
The narrator is a character in the story. ; ex : ( I, me, my, we, our )
third person point of view
someone on the outside is looking in and telling the story as he/she see it unfold. ; ex : after class , Graham hurriedly left the room and rushed back to his dorm room
omniscient point of view
the narrator is capable of knowing, telling, and seeing all ; ex : Tim was mad at Shay. He blamed her. Shay knew Tim would be mad , but she wanted to live her life
protagnist
main character ; ex : In the story Spider-Man , Spider Man was the main character
Antagonist
A character or force in conflict with the main character ; Ex : In the story spider man there was always a antagonist that he had fight
Satire
A literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness ; ex : like you already ate a lot and your mom ask you do you want some dessert
Setting
The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs. ; ex : At the beach on a summer day
Suspense
A feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work. ; ex : The feeling you get when you start to hear the jaws theme music you know something bad is going to happen but you don't know what
Symbol
anything that stands for or represents something else ; ex : Like the Nike sign stands for Nike clothing, shoes, and etc.
Mood/Tone
The feeling the author wants you to get from the story. ; ex : I'd rather stay here and wait then to go into that dark room
Theme
Subject of talk or writing ; ex : Money can't buy happiness
Alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. ; ex : She sells sea shells by the sea shore
anachronism
something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred ; ex : Caveman with iPhones
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds ; ex : A turtle in fertile soil
blank verse
Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter ; ex : But soft What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun?
direct characterization
the writer tells us directly what a character's personality is like ; ex : Raheem is often distracted, but one thing he focuses on is girls
indirect characterization
we find out about characters indirectly through thoughts, comments, or actions of the characters ; ex : I wish it would stop raining, I am tired of sitting inside!
internal conflict
A struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character ; ex : A young man goes through hard times after losing his father in a car accident.
external conflict
a problem or struggle between a character and someone or something outside of the character ; ex : Two girls compete for the same role in the school play
Connotation
an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. ; ex : Bobby was blue after his dog died
Denotation
the literal or dictionary meaning of a word ; ex : Bobby wore a blue shirt today
Couplet
A pair of rhymed lines that may or may not constitute a separate stanza in a poem. ; ex : I got to work everyday at five o'clock, I go play
fiction
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact ; ex : The hunger games is an example of fiction
nonfiction
writing that tells about real people, places, and events ; ex : History books is an example of nonfiction
Flashback
a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story. ; ex : As she sat in the park, she felt a sense of joy as she was reminded of her childhood
Hyperbole
A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor ; ex : My shoes are killing me
Imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) ; ex : As my mothers cookies came out of the oven I smelled the tasty chocolate chips
Onomatopoeia
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named ; ex : zaaappp
Stanza
a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem; a verse. ; ex : A blue day
A blue jay
And a good beginning
Soliquy
Speech in a dramatic work in which a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud. ; ex : O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
rising action
the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward a climax. ; ex : Justin sits in bed all day. He eats too much and he watches too much tv
falling action
Events after the climax, leading to the resolution ; ex : When the grinch gave all The Who's back their presents
aside
lines that are spoken by a character directly to the audience ; ex : Shall i hear more or shall I speak this?
Diction
A writer's or speaker's choice of words ; ex : or is it the pentagram hidden in a bed the conservation of bodies
genre
a kind of literary or artistic work ; ex : Red Robin Hood is example of the genre fiction
Motif
a decorative design or pattern ; ex : A ray of sunshine
Oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. ; ex : pretty ugly
thesis
the primary position taken by a writer or speaker ; ex : parents will spend less money on school clothes
Paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true ; ex : to bring peace we must wear
static character
A character who does not change during the story. ; ex : Stepmom In Cinderella
Dynamtic charater
a character that undergoes a change in actions or beliefs during the course of a story
Archetype
a very typical example of a certain person or thing
euphemism
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant