| A | B |
|---|
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| CYNICAL | PESSIMISTIC; SKEPTICAL |
| APATHETIC | INDIFFERENT; UNCONCERNED |
| DEFIANT | DISOBEDIENT |
| WITTY | FUNNY AND CLEVER |
| DIPLOMATIC | TACTFUL; SKILL IN DEALING WITH OTHERS |
| PENSIVE | THOUGHTFUL; WORRIED |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| simile | a comparison between two unlike things using like or as |
| tragedy | a drama ending in catastrophe |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the same length and meter |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| ANTITHESIS | "To be or not to be..." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SYNECDOCHE (METONYMY) | "He asked for the 'blue plate special.'" |
| UNDERSTATEMENT (LITOTES) | "I could probably manage to survive ona salary of 2 million dollars a year." |
| elusive | hard to pin down |
| conflagration | a large fire |
| bellicose | aggressive |
| end rhyme | rhyming words at the ends of two or more lines of poetry |
| stanza | a verse paragraph |
| quatrain | a four line stanza |
| morose | gloomy |
| nettle | to annoy |
| bemoan | to complain about |
| surreptitious | sneaky |
| perpetuated | caused to continue |
| nefarious | wicked, immoral |
| pseudonym | an author's assumed name |
| conundrum | an enigma; a puzzle |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | The trees whispered. |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the same length and meter |
| VICARIOUS | FELT OR UNDERGONE AS IF ONE WERE TAKING PART IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ANOTHER |
| VICARIOUSLY | JOHN LIVED ____(LY) THROUGH THE ACTION MOVIES HE WATCHED. |
| MANDATE | AN AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND |
| MANDATED | IT WAS ___(ED) THAT BOB DO FORTY HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. |
| ALTRUISM | SELFLESSNESS; UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| ALTRUISM | THE WEALTHY MAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ____; HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. |
| LACKADAISICAL | LACKING ENERGY |
| LACKADAISICAL | THE ____ YOUNG MAN WAS TOO LAZY TO GET HIS OWN SODA. |
| INEPT | CLUMSY |
| INEPT | THE ___ REFEREE KEPT GETTING IN THE FORWARD'S WAY. |
| FINESSE | SKILLFUL; TACTFUL, REFINEMENT AND DELICACY OF PERFORMANCE |
| FINESSE | ERIC STAAL'S ___ ON THE ICE MAKES HIM A LEADING GOAL-SCORER. |
| TENACIOUS | PERSISTANT |
| TENACIOUS | THE ____ MAN WOULD NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. |
| ENIGMA | A RIDDLE |
| ENIGMA | THE STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE SKY COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED; THEY WOULD REMAIN AN ______. |
| ARCHAIC | OUTDATED |
| ARCHAIC | THEY FOUND _____ REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT CIVILZATION AS THEY WERE EXCAVATING THAT PLOT OF LAND. |
| SACROSANCT | REGARDED AS SACRED |
| SACROSANCT | THE TEMPLE WAS ____ TO THE FOLLOWERS OF THAT RELIGION. |
| NEBULOUS | VAGUE; CLOUDY |
| NEBULOUS | WE FOUND HER DIRECTIONS TO BE SO ____ THAT NO ONE WAS SURE OF WHAT TO DO. |
| LOQUACIOUS | THE _____ GIRL WOULDN'T STOP TALKING! |
| LOQUACIOUS | VERY TALKATIVE |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| setting | time and place |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| foreshadowing | hints of things to come |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| theme | author's message |
| tone | author's attitude |
| point of view | 1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| literary | being able to communicate effectively by reading and writing |
| adjective | word that describes somebody or something. |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells "how, when, where, why, how often, and how much." There are 4 classifications: time, place, manner, and degree. |
| gerund | verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun. |
| SEMICOLON | USED TO SEPARATE TWO INDEPENDANT CLAUSES THAT ARE RELATED. |
| PERIOD | USED AT THE END OF A SENTENCE |
| COLON | OFTEN USED BEFORE A LIST |
| QUOTATION MARKS | USED AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A QUOTE |
| noun | A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. |
| common noun | A word that names an ordinary noun. |
| proper noun | A word that names a specific noun. |
| pronoun | A word that takes the place of a noun. |
| adjective | A word that modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun. |
| proper adjective | A word formed from a proper noun. |
| adverb | A word that modifies (describes) a verb, adjective, or adverb. |
| verb | A word that shows action or state of being. |
| helping verb | A word that helps the main verb. |
| linking verb | A word that links the subject to a noun, pronoun, or adjective in the predicate. |
| preposition | A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. |
| conjunction | A word that joins words or groups of words. |
| article | The adjectives A, AN, THE. |
| interjection | An exclamatory word that expresses emotion. It stands alone - away from the rest of the sentence. |
| adjective | Answers the questions: What kind? Which one? How many? |
| adverb | Answers the questions: How? When? Where? To what degree or extent? |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| inference | a guess of what can be |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| dynamic character | the character that changes (Scrooge) |
| static character | the character that does not change |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| tone | author's attitude |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| Allusion | reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| stanza | a formal division of lines ina poem, considered as a unit |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| Narrative Poem | A verse that tells a story |
| Sonnet | A fourteen line poem that follows one of a number of different rhyme themes |
| Free Verse | Poetry that avoids use of regular rhyme, rhythm, meter, or division into stanzas |
| Lyric Poem | A highly musical verse that expresses the emotions of a speaker |
| rose | past tense of rise |
| raised | past tense of raise |
| have lain | past participle of lie |
| have laid | past particple of lay |
| have risen | past particple of rise |
| semicolon | used like a period |
| apostrophe | used to show possession |
| colon | used before a list |
| alliteration | pink panther |
| assonance | how now |
| simile | You are as angry as a bee. |
| onomatopoeia | The crackling fire was cozy. |
| metaphor | You are the sunshine of my life. |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nonfiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narration | writing that tells a story |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| exaggeration | stretching of the truth |
| action verb | a word that shows action |
| adjective | describes a noun or a pronoun |
| adverb | describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb |
| anecdote | a short story about someone |
| antonyms | opposite words |
| character | a person, animal, or creature in a story |
| conjunction | a word that joins other words |
| context clue | helps a reader find the meaning of an unkown word |
| future tense | shows an action that will happen in the future |
| haiku | a Japanese verse form |
| interjection | expresses strong feeling or emotion |
| interrogative sentence | asks a question |
| linking verb | connects the subject and the predicate |
| metaphor | compares two things by saying one thing is the other |
| plot | series of events in a story itne order in which they happen |
| plural noun | more than one person, place, or thing |
| possessive noun | shows ownership |
| posseive pronoun | my, your, his, her, its, our, and their |
| preposition | relates the noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun |
| proper noun | names a particular person, place, or thing |
| alliteration | repetition of an initial consonant sound |
| personification | giving life to inanimate objects |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like what they mean |
| apostrophe | a direct address to a person or thing as if it were alive and present |
| simile | comparing two dissimilar objects using like or as |
| metaphor | an implied comparison between two dissimilar things whereby one object becomes the other |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration |
| irony | when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected |
| oxymoron | a contradiction of terms |
| synedoche | part for the whole |
| alliteration | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| literal language | means exactly what it says |
| metaphor | Your eyes are diamonds. |
| simile | Your eyes are like diamonds. |
| hyperbole | There were a thousand people at my party. |
| comma | punctuation mark used to separate items in a series |
| denotation | dictionary definition |
| metaphor | You are the light of my life. |
| simile | You're as ugly as roadkill. |
| oxymoron | Brawling Love |
| anecdote | a short story about a funny event |
| allusion | reference to something outside the work usually mythical, biblical, etc. |
| GRAVE | SOMBER OR SOLEMN; DANGEROUS |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| EMPATHETIC | EXHIBITIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS FEELINGS |
| SERENE | CALM AND UNRUFFLED |
| TAUNTING | JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CHERISH | TO HOLD DEAR |
| RESOLUTION | WHEN ALL THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP |
| FALLING ACTION | EVENTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE CLIMAX |
| CLIMAX | POINT OF NO RETURN; POINT OF MOST INTENSE INTEREST |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CLIMAX |
| NARRATIVE HOOK | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT GRABS THE READER'S ATTENTION |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS THE BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| PLOT | THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN A STORY |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE PROSE FICTION |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| elusive | hard to pin down |
| conflagration | a large fire |
| bellicose | aggressive |
| morose | gloomy |
| nettle | to annoy |
| bemoan | to complain about |
| surreptitious | sneaky |
| perpetuated | caused to continue |
| nefarious | wicked, immoral |
| pseudonym | an author's assumed name |
| conundrum | an enigma; a puzzle |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| VERSE | THE OPPOSITE OF PROSE; POETRY |
| PARADOX | A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTRADICTORY BUT ACTUALLY PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. | PARADOX |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | LACKING SERIOUS INTENT; NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SHOWING OR EXPRESSING CONTEMPT OR DISDAIN |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING |
| ADVERSARY | A FOE, AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| CYNICAL | PESSIMISTIC; SKEPTICAL |
| APATHETIC | INDIFFERENT; UNCONCERNED |
| DEFIANT | DISOBEDIENT |
| WITTY | FUNNY AND CLEVER |
| DIPLOMATIC | TACTFUL; SKILL IN DEALING WITH OTHERS |
| PENSIVE | THOUGHTFUL; WORRIED |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the same length and meter |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| DISDAIN | TO REJECT AS BENEATH ONESELF |
| POINT OF VIEW | THE PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH A STORY IS TOLD |
| FIRST PERSON | CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRONOUN "I" |
| THIRD PERSON | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STROY WHO KNOES THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| OMNISCIENT | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| HAMPER | TO HINDER OR OBSTRUCT |
| PLACID | CALM; SERENE |
| ABRASIVE | COARSE; ROUGH |
| COVERT | HIDDEN |
| COWER | TO RECOIL IN FEAR |
| CREDIBLE | BELIEVABLE |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHAMEFUL |
| BLATANT | OBVIOUS |
| BLATANT | I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE ___ LIES SHE TOLD! |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHE WAS EMBARRASSED BY HER SON'S _____ BEHAVIOR. |
| DISDAIN | CANDICE LOOKED AT THE OTHER GIRL'S CLOTHING WITH ____. |
| COWERED | FRIGHTENED BY THE ANGRY, HISSING CAT, THE PUPPY ______ UNDERNEATH THE BED. |
| CREDIBLE | THE ATTORNEY THOUGHT THAT BOB WOULD MAKE A BELIEVABLE, ______ WITNESS. |
| PLACID | THE ____ EXPRESSION ON HER FACE HID HER INNER TURMOIL. |
| ABRASIVE | HIS _____ MANNER DID NOT ENDEAR HIM TO HIS PATIENTS; THEY THOUGHT HE WAS TOO HARSH. |
| COVERT | THE AGENTS WERE SENT OUT ON A ____ OPERATION. |
| HAMPER | THE INVESTIGATION WAS _____(ED) BY CRIME SCENE CONTAMINATION. |
| VICARIOUS | FELT OR UNDERGONE AS IF ONE WERE TAKING PART IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ANOTHER |
| VICARIOUSLY | JOHN LIVED ____(LY) THROUGH THE ACTION MOVIES HE WATCHED. |
| MANDATE | AN AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND |
| MANDATED | IT WAS ___(ED) THAT BOB DO FORTY HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. |
| ALTRUISM | SELFLESSNESS; UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| ALTRUISM | THE WEALTHY MAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ____; HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. |
| LACKADAISICAL | LACKING ENERGY |
| LACKADAISICAL | THE ____ YOUNG MAN WAS TOO LAZY TO GET HIS OWN SODA. |
| INEPT | CLUMSY |
| INEPT | THE ___ REFEREE KEPT GETTING IN THE FORWARD'S WAY. |
| FINESSE | SKILLFUL; TACTFUL, REFINEMENT AND DELICACY OF PERFORMANCE |
| FINESSE | ERIC STAAL'S ___ ON THE ICE MAKES HIM A LEADING GOAL-SCORER. |
| TENACIOUS | PERSISTANT |
| TENACIOUS | THE ____ MAN WOULD NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. |
| ENIGMA | A RIDDLE |
| ENIGMA | THE STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE SKY COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED; THEY WOULD REMAIN AN ______. |
| ARCHAIC | OUTDATED |
| ARCHAIC | THEY FOUND _____ REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT CIVILZATION AS THEY WERE EXCAVATING THAT PLOT OF LAND. |
| SACROSANCT | REGARDED AS SACRED |
| SACROSANCT | IN EQUALITY'S SOCIETY, THE COLLECTIVE GOOD IS _____ AND INDIVIDUALITY IS A SIN. |
| NEBULOUS | VAGUE; CLOUDY |
| NEBULOUS | WE FOUND HER DIRECTIONS TO BE SO ____ THAT NO ONE WAS SURE OF WHAT TO DO. |
| LOQUACIOUS | THE _____ GIRL WOULDN'T STOP TALKING! |
| LOQUACIOUS | VERY TALKATIVE |
| METONYMY | ONE WORD OR PHRASE IS SUBSTITED FOR ANOTHER WITH WHICH IT IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED. |
| METONYMY | WE RECEIVED ORDERS FROM WASHINGTON TO INVADE THE COMPOUND. |
| SYNECDOCHE | A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH A PART STANDS FOR THE WHOLE |
| SYNECDOCHE | HE ASKED FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE. |
| UTOPIA | AN IDEALLY PERFECT PLACE |
| UTOPIA | MY ____ IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS HAPPY AND CONTENT. |
| DYSTOPIA | A PLACE IN WHICH THE CONDITIONS ARE EXTREMELY BAD |
| DYSTOPIA | WHILE MARX'S IDEAS SOUNDED GOOD, THEY FORMED A ______ IN WHICH MANY PEOPLE WERE DEPRIVED OF BASIC NECESSITIES AND HAPPINESS. |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| ANTITHESIS | "To be or not to be..." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SYNECDOCHE (METONYMY) | "He asked for the 'blue plate special.'" |
| UNDERSTATEMENT (LITOTES) | "I could probably manage to survive ona salary of 2 million dollars a year." |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| initial incident of conflict | narrative hook |
| dynamic character | character who changes dramatically |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| foreshadowing | hints of things to come |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| static character | character doesn't change |
| theme | author's message |
| mood | atmosphere a work creates |
| tone | author's attitude |
| point of view | 1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| shock of recognition | seeing yourself in a situation or a character |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| literary devices | rhetorical elements used to create a desired mood ortone in a piece of writing |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| personification | metaphorical figure of speech in which the a nunhuman is given human qualities |
| simile | a comparison of two dissimilar things, using comparison words |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| tone | the reflections of an author's attitude toward the topic and the audience as suggested by his or her word choices and stylistic effors |
| voice | the expression of an author's self or identity as relected in sentence construction or word choices |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| literary | being able to communicate effectively by reading and writing |
| transitive | having a direct object after the verv used to complete a sentence |
| intransitive | a verb not followed by a direct object |
| passive | when the subject receives the action of a verb |
| irony | the direct opposite of what is said or done |
| onomatopoeia | sounds associated with an object |
| personification | to give inanimate objects human feelings and attributes |
| rubric | specific steps to follow for an assignment |
| thesis | a statement or idea |
| legible | easy to read |
| cite | to quote someone |
| copyright | legal right to exclusive publication |
| adjective | word that describes somebody or something. |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells "how, when, where, why, how often, and how much." There are 4 classifications: time, place, manner, and degree. |
| adverbial phrase | a phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Infinitive or prepositional phrases can be used as adverbial phrases. |
| clause | group of related words that has both a subject and a predicate. |
| edit | to replace words, phrases, and sentences that sound awkward or confusing and to correct errors in spelling, usage, mechanics and grammar. |
| fluency | automatic word recognition, rapid recoding, and checking for meaning. |
| gerund | verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun. |
| grammar | the study of the structure and features of a language. |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| litotes | Bill Gates is rather well-off |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| synecdoche | "Have you got your wheels, man?" |
| conceit | "My compass love for you is true." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| antithesis | "Wretches hang that jury-men may dine." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| metonymy | "The White House has responded to the criticism." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| SEMICOLON | USED TO SEPARATE TWO INDEPENDANT CLAUSES THAT ARE RELATED. |
| PERIOD | USED AT THE END OF A SENTENCE |
| COLON | OFTEN USED BEFORE A LIST |
| QUOTATION MARKS | USED AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A QUOTE |
| To avoid confusion, use _____ to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more. | COMMAS |
| Use a comma to separate two ____ when the word and can be inserted between them. | HE IS A STRONG, HEALTHY BOY. |
| Use a comma when an __ adjective is used with other adjectives. | LY EXAMPLE. FELIX WAS A LONELY, YOUNG BOY. |
| Use commas before or surrounding the name or title of a person directly addressed. | WILL YOU, JESSE, DO THAT ASSIGNMENT FOR ME? |
| Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year and after the year. | Kathleen met her husband on December 5, 2003, in Mill Valley, California. |
| I am, as you have probably noticed, very nervous about this. | Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the flow of the sentence. |
| If you are not sure about this, let me know now. | When starting a sentence with a weak clause, use a comma after it. |
| Use a comma to separate two strong clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction-and, or, but, for, nor. | I have painted the entire house, but he is still working on sanding the doors. |
| Use commas surrounding words such as therefore and however when they are used as interruptors. | I would be happy, however, to volunteer for the Red Cross. |
| Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas. | This conference has people that have come from Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles, California; and Nashville, Tennessee. |
| Use the apostrophe with contractions. The apostrophe is always placed at the spot where the letter(s) has been removed. | don't, isn't |
| Use the apostrophe to show possession. Place the apostrophe before the s to show singular possession. | one boy's hat |
| To show plural possession, make the noun plural first. Then immediately use the apostrophe. | two boys' hats |
| noun | A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. |
| common noun | A word that names an ordinary noun. |
| proper noun | A word that names a specific noun. |
| pronoun | A word that takes the place of a noun. |
| adjective | A word that modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun. |
| proper adjective | A word formed from a proper noun. |
| adverb | A word that modifies (describes) a verb, adjective, or adverb. |
| verb | A word that shows action or state of being. |
| helping verb | A word that helps the main verb. |
| linking verb | A word that links the subject to a noun, pronoun, or adjective in the predicate. |
| preposition | A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. |
| conjunction | A word that joins words or groups of words. |
| article | The adjectives A, AN, THE. |
| interjection | An exclamatory word that expresses emotion. It stands alone - away from the rest of the sentence. |
| adjective | Answers the questions: What kind? Which one? How many? |
| adverb | Answers the questions: How? When? Where? To what degree or extent? |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| inference | a guess of what can be |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| dynamic character | the character that changes (Scrooge) |
| static character | the character that does not change |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| tone | author's attitude |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| september | September |
| is not | isn't |
| do not | don't |
| is not | isn't |
| are not | aren't |
| did not | didn't |
| have not | haven't |
| will not | won't |
| should not | shouldn't |
| could not | couldn't |
| I will | I'll |
| we have | we've |
| you will | you'll |
| you are | you're |
| they have | they've |
| she will | she'll |
| we are | we're |
| you have | you've |
| let us | let's |
| he is | he's |
| I am | I'm |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| synecdoche | "Have you got your wheels, man?" |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| metonymy | "The White House has responded to the criticism." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| ANTITHESIS | "To be or not to be..." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SYNECDOCHE (METONYMY) | "He asked for the 'blue plate special.'" |
| UNDERSTATEMENT (LITOTES) | "I could probably manage to survive ona salary of 2 million dollars a year." |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| shock of recognition | seeing yourself in a situation or a character |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| Alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| Allusion | reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. |
| Anecdote | a brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event |
| anticlimax | turning point in a story (always a let down) |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| autobiography | form on nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story |
| biography | form on nonfiction in which a writer tellst he life story of another person |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines |
| character | a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nongiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| moral | a lesson taught by a literary work |
| motivation | a reason that explains or partially explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narration | writing that tells a story |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| oral tradition | passing of songs, stories, and poems from generation to generation by word of mouth |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| speaker | the imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem |
| stage directions | notes included in a drama to describe how the work is to be performed or staged |
| stanza | a formal division of lines ina poem, considered as a unit |
| suspense | a feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about eh outcome of events in a literary work |
| symbol | anything that stands for or represents something else |
| theme | a central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| Nouns | name persons, places, things, or ideas |
| Pronouns | take the place of nouns |
| Adjectives | describe or modify nouns or pronouns |
| Verbs | express action or being |
| Adverbs | describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs |
| Conjunctions | join words or groups of words |
| Prepositions | relate nouns or pronouns to other words in a sentences |
| Interjections | express emotion or feeling |
| proper noun | Harry Potter |
| adjective | scary |
| adverb | suddenly |
| common noun | homework |
| helping verb | would |
| pronoun | it |
| proper adjective | Australian |
| action verb | leap |
| preposition | in |
| conjunction | and |
| interjection | wow |
| article/adjective | the |
| Narrative Poem | A verse that tells a story |
| Dramatic Poem | A verse that relies heavily on dramatic elements such as monologue or dialogue |
| Sonnet | A fourteen line poem that follows one of a number of different rhyme themes |
| Ode | A lofty lyric poem on a serious theme |
| Monologue | One person speaking |
| Dialogue | More than one person speaking |
| Free Verse | Poetry that avoids use of regular rhyme, rhythm, meter, or division into stanzas |
| Lyric Poem | A highly musical verse that expresses the emotions of a speaker |
| Stanza | A group of lines in a poem |
| End Rhyme | Rhyming words at the end of lines |
| Internal Rhyme | Rhyming words within lines |
| Slant Rhyme | Half rhyme, near rhyme, or off rhyme is the substitution of assonance or consonance for true rhyme |
| Alliteration | The repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| Consonance | A kind of slant rhyme in which the ending consonant sounds of two words match, but the preceding vowel sound does not |
| Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different consonant sounds |
| Onomatopoeia | The use of words or phrases that sound like the things to which they refer (ex: click, snap, and pow) |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| Simile | A comparison using like or as |
| Couplet | Two lines |
| Octave | Eight lines |
| tercet | Three lines |
| Quatrain | Four lines |
| Quintain | Five lines |
| Sestet | Six lines |
| Heptastich | Seven lines |
| Rhythm | The pattern of beats or stresses in a line of verse or prose |
| Prose | Broad term used to describe all writing that is not drama or poetry |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| literary devices | rhetorical elements used to create a desired mood ortone in a piece of writing |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| personification | metaphorical figure of speech in which the a nunhuman is given human qualities |
| simile | a comparison of two dissimilar things, using comparison words |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| tone | the reflections of an author's attitude toward the topic and the audience as suggested by his or her word choices and stylistic effors |
| voice | the expression of an author's self or identity as relected in sentence construction or word choices |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| sit | to rest in an upright, sitting position |
| set | to put or place (something) |
| lie | to rest in a reclining position |
| lay | like set; it means to put something down |
| rise | to go up or to get up |
| raise | to lift up or to cause to go up |
| sat | past tense of sit |
| set | past tense of set |
| lay | past tense of lie |
| laid | past tense of lay |
| rose | past tense of rise |
| raised | past tense of raise |
| have lain | past participle of lie |
| have laid | past particple of lay |
| have risen | past particple of rise |
| have raised | past particple of raise |
| . full stop | to end a sentence |
| , comma | to make smaller breaks within a sentence, e.g after a clause or a joining word |
| ! exclamation mark | to indicate strong feelings, e.g. surprise, anger, indignation |
| ? question mark | to end a question |
| ; semi-colon | to make a break in a long sentence, which is longer than a comma and shorter than a full stop |
| : colon | before a list |
| - dash | to quickly add extra information which is not relevant to the rest of the sentence |
| ( ) close brackets | to quickly add extra information which is not relevant to the rest of the sentence |
| - hyphen | to join two words to make a new word |
| 's apostrophe 'S' | to show that something belongs to somebody or to show 2 words have been put together |
| ... dot dot dot | to show something is unfinished |
| ' ' inverted commas | to show something is being referred to by a strange name |
| " " speech marke, or quotation marks | to show which words were spoken |
| underline | for titles or sub-headings |
| adjective | exhausted |
| conjunction | because |
| noun | students |
| pronoun | they |
| exhausted | adjective |
| verb | snored |
| adverb | loudly |
| article | The |
| preposition | during |
| object of preposition | class |
| phrasal (verb + prepositon) | stayed up |
| adverb | late |
| participle/gerund | drinking |
| possessive pronoun | their |
| noun used as adjective | beer |
| noun | milkshakes |
| adjective (from proper noun) | English |
| main verb | snored |
| noun- subject of sentence | students |
| adverb phrase (when) | the night before |
| semicolon | used like a period |
| apostrophe | used to show possession |
| colon | used before a list |
| alliteration | pink panther |
| assonance | how now |
| simile | You are as angry as a bee. |
| onomatopoeia | The crackling fire was cozy. |
| metaphor | You are the sunshine of my life. |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| passive | when the subject receives the action of a verb |
| adjective | word that describes somebody or something. |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells "how, when, where, why, how often, and how much." There are 4 classifications: time, place, manner, and degree. |
| clause | group of related words that has both a subject and a predicate. |
| gerund | verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun. |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| speech delivered by a character who is alone onstage | soliloquy |
| a type of story that portrays the fall of a noble personusually due to a tragic weakness or flaw in his/her character | tragedy |
| the protagonist in a tragedy who suffers a downfall due to a fatal flaw | tragic hero |
| a speech or performance given entirely by one person or one character | monologue |
| a metrical pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables common in poetry and in Shakespearean plays. contains 10 syllable per line | iambic pentameter |
| literature meant to be performed onstage | drama |
| a lighter form of drama; the purpose is to amuse and it usually has a happy ending | comedy |
| a play on word | puns |
| a fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter | sonnet |
| an essential element of Greek dramas; a group of people who speak in a collective voice often restating the action of the play | chorus |
| The sequence of events in a story | plot |
| Poems that tell a story | narrative poems |
| A story that involves the reader in guessing who committed the crime or deed | mystery |
| Prose that explains ideas or is about real events | nonfiction |
| A story about a person written by that person | autobiography |
| An author's account or story of another person's life | biography |
| A Japanese form of poetry with three lines of 17 syllables | haiku |
| Poetry that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker | lyric |
| when character gets what he deserves | poetic justice |
| The part of the story that grabs the reader's attention | narrative hook |
| High point in a story; the point of no return | climax |
| The part of a story or play that explains the background or makes conflict clear | exposition |
| The action that takes place in the story after the climax | falling action |
| repetition of the beginning consonant sound | alliteration |
| the speaker or writer's attitude toward the subject of the work | tone |
| a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero | epic |
| reference to something outside of the work | allusion |
| when a character has a problem with an element of society | person vs. society |
| a word or phrase used in place of a person's name to help characterize that person | epithet |
| prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events | fiction |
| a person or thing who opposes the protagonist | antagonist |
| the writer says one thing and means another | verbal irony |
| when a story's sequence is interrupted and a character goes back to an earlier time | flashback |
| repetition of the internal vowel sound | assonance |
| when a character struggles against some outside force | external conflict |
| conflict that exists within a character | internal conflict |
| the use of clues that suggest events yet to come | foreshadowing |
| the way an author reveals his characters | characterization |
| a French word meaning form or type | genre |
| the repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words | consonance |
| a word or phrase that is overused | cliche |
| the feeling a work of literature evokes in the reader | mood |
| a character whose actions are inspiring or noble and who overcomes difficulty | hero |
| all the emotions or feelings a word arouses | connotation |
| a character who stays the same | static character |
| a recurring and familiar pattern in literature like a journey or a wise old man | archetype |
| the dictionary definition of a word | imagery |
| when something is different than it is supposed to be or thought to be | irony |
| comparison of two unlike things without using like or as | metaphor |
| time and place of a literary work | setting |
| a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as | simile |
| an author's unique way of writing that involves word choice and sentence patterns | style |
| central truth or idea | theme |
| a fictional tale that explains the actions or gods or heroes | myth |
| words that imitate sounds | onmatopoeia |
| A conversation between at least two characters | dialogue |
| Instructions for staging a play | stage directions |
| In the middle of things | in medias res |
| When a characters words are heard by the audience but not by the other characters onstage | aside |
| An author's assumed or fake name | pseudonym |
| An almost superhuman character that represents the values of an entire nation or culture--He is also clever | strong and brave. |
| An extended comparison that compares a heroic event to some everyday occurrence using the words like or as | epic simile |
| Lovely lilting lines of like letters. | alliteration |
| An extreme exaggeration | hyperbole |
| Jumbo shrimp | oxymoron |
| She is the star in my sky. | alliteration and metaphor |
| When a character struggles with another character. | person vs. person conflict |
| The trees whispered in the breeze. | assonance and personification |
| The perspective from which a story is told | point of view |
| When the story is told from the perspective of someone outside of the events of the story but who reveals only one character's thoughts | third person |
| When the story is told from the perspective of someone outside of the events by who knows and reveals all the character's thoughts and feelings | omniscient |
| a character with only one personality trait | flat character |
| poem which tells the story of a person from the past and is often set to music | ballas |
| a character who changes | dynamic character |
| a character with more than one personality trait | round character |
| a statement that seems to be contradictory but actually presents a truth | paradox |
| rhyming words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry | end rhyme |
| stories that center upon or incorporate some historical event | historical fiction |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Simile | creation of an image with like or as |
| Apostrophe | direct address of person or thing |
| Alliteration | repetition of consonants |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Climax | high point |
| Puns | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| Oxymoron | a linking of an adjective and noun which contradict each other |
| Paradox | a contradictory situation |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| autobiography | form on nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines |
| character | a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nonfiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narration | writing that tells a story |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| exaggeration | stretching of the truth |
| action verb | a word that shows action |
| adjective | describes a noun or a pronoun |
| adverb | describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb |
| anecdote | a short story about someone |
| antonyms | opposite words |
| character | a person, animal, or creature in a story |
| conjunction | a word that joins other words |
| context clue | helps a reader find the meaning of an unkown word |
| future tense | shows an action that will happen in the future |
| haiku | a Japanese verse form |
| interjection | expresses strong feeling or emotion |
| interrogative sentence | asks a question |
| linking verb | connects the subject and the predicate |
| main verb | most important word in the predicate |
| metaphor | compares two things by saying one thing is the other |
| noun | a person, a place, a thing or an idea |
| part of speech | tells how a word is used in a sentence |
| plot | series of events in a story itne order in which they happen |
| plural noun | more than one person, place, or thing |
| possessive noun | shows ownership |
| posseive pronoun | my, your, his, her, its, our, and their |
| preposition | relates the noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun |
| proper noun | names a particular person, place, or thing |
| alliteration | repetition of an initial consonant sound |
| personification | giving life to inanimate objects |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like what they mean |
| apostrophe | a direct address to a person or thing as if it were alive and present |
| simile | comparing two dissimilar objects using like or as |
| metaphor | an implied comparison between two dissimilar things whereby one object becomes the other |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration |
| irony | when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected |
| oxymoron | a contradiction of terms |
| synedoche | part for the whole |
| the feelings a word arouses | connotation |
| how now brown cow | assonance |
| She sells sea shells. | alliteration |
| repetition of internal consonant sounds | consonance |
| extreme exaggeration | hyperbole |
| when a character says one thing but means another | verbal irony |
| when the audience knows more than the character | dramatic irony |
| normal everyday writing in sentences | prose |
| the language of poetry | verse |
| repetition of grammatical structure | parallelism |
| a long prose narrative | novel |
| punctuation mark used in a contraction or to show possession | apostrophe |
| used after an introductory clause | comma |
| when a character gets what he deserves | poetic justice |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike objects; USES LIKE or AS |
| hyperbole | a large exaggeration |
| personification | giving an non-human thing human qualities |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like their meaning |
| alliteration | a series of words that begin with the same letter |
| idiom | a common expression used to mean something else |
| alliteration | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| literal language | means exactly what it says |
| metaphor | Your eyes are diamonds. |
| simile | Your eyes are like diamonds. |
| hyperbole | There were a thousand people at my party. |
| onomatopoeia | We watched the BLIP on the computer monitor. |
| personification | The stars reached down from the sky. |
| metaphor | a comparison of two unlike objects;does NOT use LIKE or AS |
| comma | punctuation mark used to separate items in a series |
| denotation | dictionary definition |
| colon | punctuation mark used before a list |
| omniscient | the narrator knows all the characters' thoughts |
| first person | uses the pronoun I |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| exposition | explains background and makes conflict clear |
| mood | the feelings evoked in the reader |
| tone | how the author feels |
| onomatopoeia | The pop of the balloon scared me. |
| metaphor | You are the light of my life. |
| simile | You're as ugly as roadkill. |
| oxymoron | Brawling Love |
| anecdote | a short story about a funny event |
| allusion | reference to something outside the work usually mythical, biblical, etc. |
| FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE | beyond literal meaning of words to create special effects or feelings |
| NONFICTION | This is factual writing that presents and explains ideas |
| LITERATURE | This is the body of written works that includes prose and poetry |
| MEMOIR | account of the personal experiences of an author |
| LYRIC POEM | This is a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and experience of an author |
| CONFLICT | This is the main problem in a literary work. |
| FICTION | This is writing that tells about imaginary characters |
| DRAMATIC POEM | This is a poem that makes use of the techniques of drama |
| AUTOBIOGRAPHY | This is the story of a person's life written by that person |
| METER | This is the rhythm or regular sound pattern in a piece |
| PREFIX | This can be added to the beginning of a word to change the word's meaning |
| SCENE | This is a small division of a play that usually happens in a particular place and time |
| POETRY | This is the third major type of literature in addition to drma and prose |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | This is the use of words that sound like the noises |
| DRAMA | This is a story written to be performed by actors. |
| METAPHOR | This is a direct comparison of two unlike things |
| CHARACTERIZATION | This is the combination of ways that an author shows a person is like |
| RISING ACTION | This is the part of the plot where the conflict and and suspense build |
| Alliteration | This is the repetition of initial consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. |
| Allusion | This is the reference to a person, place, or event from history, literature, or religion with which a reader is likely to be familiar. |
| Autobiography | This is the story of a person's life written by that person. |
| Biography | The story of a person's life written by another person. |
| Blank Verse | This is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter |
| Characterization | This is the combination of ways that an author shows readers what a person in a literary selection is like. |
| Climax | This is the part of the plot where the conflict and tension reach a peak. It is the turning point of the plot. |
| Decode | This is when we analyze a spoken or written word to discover its pronunciation or meaning. |
| Drama | This is a story written to be performed by actors. |
| Dramatic Poem | This is a poem that makes use of the techniques of drama. The speaker is clearly someone other than the poet. More than one character may speak. |
| End Rhyme | This is the repetition of similar sounds that comes at the ends of lines of poetry. |
| Fiction | This is writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. |
| Figurative Language | This goes beyond the literal meanings of words to create special effects or feelings. |
| Fixed Form | This means traditional verse form, or a poem that inherits from other poems certain familiar elements of structure including an unvarying number of lines, rhyme, meter, particular themes, tones, and other elements. |
| Foreshadowing | This is the use of hints in written works about what will happen later. |
| Form | This is the structure into which a piece of literature is organized |
| Free Verse | This is poetry written without a regular rhyme scheme, meter, or form. |
| Genre | This is the category or type of literature. |
| Hyperbole | This is extreme exaggeration used in a literary work. |
| Irony | This is the contrast between appearance and reality or what is expected and what actually happens. |
| Legend | This is a story about mythical beings or supernatural events, usually originally told orally for generations before being written down. |
| Literature | This is the body of written works that includes prose and poetry. |
| Lyric Poem | This is a highly musical verse that expresses the observation and feelings of a single speaker. |
| Main Idea | This is the central and most important idea of a reading passage. |
| Memoir | This is an account of the personal experiences of an author. |
| Metaphor | This is a direct comparison of two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as." |
| Meter | This is the rhythm or regular sound pattern in a piece of poetry. |
| Motivation | This is the wants, needs, or beliefs that cause a character to act or react in a particular way. |
| Narrative Poem | This tells a story in verse. |
| Nonfiction | This is factual writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events. |
| Onomatopoeia | This is the use of words that sound like the noises they describe. |
| Personification | This is a type of figurative language in which human qualities are given to nonhuman things. |
| Plot | This is the series of events that happen in a literary work. |
| Poem | This is an arrangement of words in verse. It sometimes rhymes, and expresses facts, emotions, or ideas in a style more concentrated, imaginative and powerful than that of ordinary speech. |
| Poetry | This is the third major type of literature in addition to drama and prose. |
| Prefix | This can be added to the beginning of a word to change the word's meaning. |
| Rhyme Scheme | This is the regular pattern of rhyme found at the ends of lines in poems. |
| Rising Action | This is the part of the plot where the conflict and suspense build. |
| Root Word | This is a word related in origin, as certain words in genetically related languages descended from the same ancestral root. It is the part of the word after all affixes have been removed. |
| Scene | This is a small division of a play that usually happens in a particular time and place. |
| Setting | This is the time and place in which a literary work happens. |
| Simile | This is a comparison of two unlike things using the terms "like" or "as". |
| Sonnet | This is a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter. |
| Stanza | This is a group of related lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose. |
| Subplot | This is a secondary plot in a work of literature that either explains or helps to develop the main plot. |
| Suffix | This can be added to the end of a word to change the word's meaning. |
| Active Voice | This is used when the subject of a sentence performs the action. |
| Advertisement | This is a public announcement promoting a product or service. |
| Aesthetic | This has to do with the beauty of something rather than its usefulness. |
| Analogy | This is a comparison based on a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar. |
| Anecdote | This is a brief story about an interesting incident. |
| Argumentation | This is the kind of writing that tries to persuade readers to accept an author's opinions. |
| Cause And Effect | This is the relationship between two or more events in which one event brings about another. |
| Connotation | This is the emotional feelings and associations that go beyond the dictionary definition of a word. |
| Context Clues | These are in the text surrounding a word and give hints for the meaning of the word. |
| Critique | This is a written or spoken evaluation of what is and is not effective in a literary work. |
| Denotation | This is the dictionary definition of a word. |
| Dialogue | These are the words spoken by characters in a literary work. |
| Diction | This is the writer's choice of words, including the vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the words, and the vividness of the language. |
| Editorial | This is an article in a publication or a commentary on television or radio expressing the opinion of its editors, publishers, station, or network. |
| Essay | This is a short, nonfiction work about a particular subject. |
| Fact | This is a statement that can be proved to be true. |
| Fluency | This is the ability to speak, read, or write a language; automatic word recognition, decoding, and checking for meaning. |
| Implied Meaning | This is a suggested, but not stated, definition. |
| Inference | This is reading between the lines. It is taking something that you read and putting it together with something that you already know to make sense of what you read. |
| Media | This is the main means of mass communication. |
| Monologue | This is a long, uninterrupted speech by a character in a play, story, or poem. |
| Mood | This is the feeling that an author wants readers to have while reading. |
| Novel | This is a long work of fiction. It has a complicated plot, many characters, a significant theme, and varied settings. |
| Opinion | This is a statement that reflects a writer's belief about a topic , and it cannot be proved. |
| Paraphrase | This is the restatement of a written work in one's own words that keeps the basic meaning of the original work. |
| Passive Voice | This is used when the subject of a sentence receives the action instead of doing it. |
| Point Of View | This is the perspective from which a story is told. |
| Short Story | This is a brief work of fiction. It resembles a novel but his a simpler plot and setting and fewer characters. |
| Speech | This is a talk or public address. |
| Strategy | This is any kind of mental action used by a student to comprehend and make meaning out of a reading text. |
| Style | This is the way an author expresses ideas through the use of kinds of words, literary devices, and sentence structure. |
| Text | This is the main body of a piece of writing or any of the various forms in which writing exists, such as a book, a poem, an article, or a short story. |
| Theme | This is the message, usually about life or society, that an author wishes to convey through a literary work. |
| Tone | This is the attitude that an author takes toward the audience, the subject, or a character. |
| Transcript | This documentation is the record in printed form of what was said. |
| FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE | beyond literal meaning of words to create special effects or feelings |
| NONFICTION | This is factual writing that presents and explains ideas |
| LITERATURE | This is the body of written works that includes prose and poetry |
| MEMOIR | account of the personal experiences of an author |
| LYRIC POEM | This is a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and experience of an author |
| CONFLICT | This is the main problem in a literary work. |
| FICTION | This is writing that tells about imaginary characters |
| DRAMATIC POEM | This is a poem that makes use of the techniques of drama |
| AUTOBIOGRAPHY | This is the story of a person's life written by that person |
| METER | This is the rhythm or regular sound pattern in a piece |
| PREFIX | This can be added to the beginning of a word to change the word's meaning |
| SCENE | This is a small division of a play that usually happens in a particular place and time |
| POETRY | This is the third major type of literature in addition to drma and prose |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | This is the use of words that sound like the noises |
| DRAMA | This is a story written to be performed by actors. |
| METAPHOR | This is a direct comparison of two unlike things |
| CHARACTERIZATION | This is the combination of ways that an author shows a person is like |
| RISING ACTION | This is the part of the plot where the conflict and and suspense build |
| Alliteration | This is the repetition of initial consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. |
| Allusion | This is the reference to a person, place, or event from history, literature, or religion with which a reader is likely to be familiar. |
| Autobiography | This is the story of a person's life written by that person. |
| Biography | The story of a person's life written by another person. |
| Blank Verse | This is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter |
| Characterization | This is the combination of ways that an author shows readers what a person in a literary selection is like. |
| Climax | This is the part of the plot where the conflict and tension reach a peak. It is the turning point of the plot. |
| Decode | This is when we analyze a spoken or written word to discover its pronunciation or meaning. |
| Drama | This is a story written to be performed by actors. |
| Dramatic Poem | This is a poem that makes use of the techniques of drama. The speaker is clearly someone other than the poet. More than one character may speak. |
| End Rhyme | This is the repetition of similar sounds that comes at the ends of lines of poetry. |
| Fiction | This is writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. |
| Figurative Language | This goes beyond the literal meanings of words to create special effects or feelings. |
| Fixed Form | This means traditional verse form, or a poem that inherits from other poems certain familiar elements of structure including an unvarying number of lines, rhyme, meter, particular themes, tones, and other elements. |
| Foreshadowing | This is the use of hints in written works about what will happen later. |
| Form | This is the structure into which a piece of literature is organized |
| Free Verse | This is poetry written without a regular rhyme scheme, meter, or form. |
| Genre | This is the category or type of literature. |
| Hyperbole | This is extreme exaggeration used in a literary work. |
| Irony | This is the contrast between appearance and reality or what is expected and what actually happens. |
| Legend | This is a story about mythical beings or supernatural events, usually originally told orally for generations before being written down. |
| Literature | This is the body of written works that includes prose and poetry. |
| Lyric Poem | This is a highly musical verse that expresses the observation and feelings of a single speaker. |
| Main Idea | This is the central and most important idea of a reading passage. |
| Memoir | This is an account of the personal experiences of an author. |
| Metaphor | This is a direct comparison of two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as." |
| Meter | This is the rhythm or regular sound pattern in a piece of poetry. |
| Motivation | This is the wants, needs, or beliefs that cause a character to act or react in a particular way. |
| Narrative Poem | This tells a story in verse. |
| Nonfiction | This is factual writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events. |
| Onomatopoeia | This is the use of words that sound like the noises they describe. |
| Personification | This is a type of figurative language in which human qualities are given to nonhuman things. |
| Plot | This is the series of events that happen in a literary work. |
| Poem | This is an arrangement of words in verse. It sometimes rhymes, and expresses facts, emotions, or ideas in a style more concentrated, imaginative and powerful than that of ordinary speech. |
| Poetry | This is the third major type of literature in addition to drama and prose. |
| Prefix | This can be added to the beginning of a word to change the word's meaning. |
| Rhyme Scheme | This is the regular pattern of rhyme found at the ends of lines in poems. |
| Rising Action | This is the part of the plot where the conflict and suspense build. |
| Root Word | This is a word related in origin, as certain words in genetically related languages descended from the same ancestral root. It is the part of the word after all affixes have been removed. |
| Scene | This is a small division of a play that usually happens in a particular time and place. |
| Setting | This is the time and place in which a literary work happens. |
| Simile | This is a comparison of two unlike things using the terms "like" or "as". |
| Sonnet | This is a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter. |
| Stanza | This is a group of related lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose. |
| Subplot | This is a secondary plot in a work of literature that either explains or helps to develop the main plot. |
| Suffix | This can be added to the end of a word to change the word's meaning. |
| Active Voice | This is used when the subject of a sentence performs the action. |
| Advertisement | This is a public announcement promoting a product or service. |
| Aesthetic | This has to do with the beauty of something rather than its usefulness. |
| Analogy | This is a comparison based on a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar. |
| Anecdote | This is a brief story about an interesting incident. |
| Argumentation | This is the kind of writing that tries to persuade readers to accept an author's opinions. |
| Cause And Effect | This is the relationship between two or more events in which one event brings about another. |
| Connotation | This is the emotional feelings and associations that go beyond the dictionary definition of a word. |
| Context Clues | These are in the text surrounding a word and give hints for the meaning of the word. |
| Critique | This is a written or spoken evaluation of what is and is not effective in a literary work. |
| Denotation | This is the dictionary definition of a word. |
| Dialogue | These are the words spoken by characters in a literary work. |
| Diction | This is the writer's choice of words, including the vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the words, and the vividness of the language. |
| Editorial | This is an article in a publication or a commentary on television or radio expressing the opinion of its editors, publishers, station, or network. |
| Essay | This is a short, nonfiction work about a particular subject. |
| Fact | This is a statement that can be proved to be true. |
| Fluency | This is the ability to speak, read, or write a language; automatic word recognition, decoding, and checking for meaning. |
| Implied Meaning | This is a suggested, but not stated, definition. |
| Inference | This is reading between the lines. It is taking something that you read and putting it together with something that you already know to make sense of what you read. |
| Media | This is the main means of mass communication. |
| Monologue | This is a long, uninterrupted speech by a character in a play, story, or poem. |
| Mood | This is the feeling that an author wants readers to have while reading. |
| Novel | This is a long work of fiction. It has a complicated plot, many characters, a significant theme, and varied settings. |
| Opinion | This is a statement that reflects a writer's belief about a topic , and it cannot be proved. |
| Paraphrase | This is the restatement of a written work in one's own words that keeps the basic meaning of the original work. |
| Passive Voice | This is used when the subject of a sentence receives the action instead of doing it. |
| Point Of View | This is the perspective from which a story is told. |
| Short Story | This is a brief work of fiction. It resembles a novel but his a simpler plot and setting and fewer characters. |
| Speech | This is a talk or public address. |
| Strategy | This is any kind of mental action used by a student to comprehend and make meaning out of a reading text. |
| Style | This is the way an author expresses ideas through the use of kinds of words, literary devices, and sentence structure. |
| Text | This is the main body of a piece of writing or any of the various forms in which writing exists, such as a book, a poem, an article, or a short story. |
| Theme | This is the message, usually about life or society, that an author wishes to convey through a literary work. |
| Tone | This is the attitude that an author takes toward the audience, the subject, or a character. |
| Transcript | This documentation is the record in printed form of what was said. |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| litotes | Bill Gates is rather well-off |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| synecdoche | "Have you got your wheels, man?" |
| conceit | "My compass love for you is true." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| antithesis | "Wretches hang that jury-men may dine." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| metonymy | "The White House has responded to the criticism." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| noun | A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. |
| pronoun | A word that takes the place of a noun. |
| adjective | A word that modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun. |
| adverb | A word that modifies (describes) a verb, adjective, or adverb. |
| verb | A word that shows action or state of being. |
| linking verb | A word that links the subject to a noun, pronoun, or adjective in the predicate. |
| preposition | A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. |
| conjunction | A word that joins words or groups of words. |
| article | The adjectives A, AN, THE. |
| adjective | Answers the questions: What kind? Which one? How many? |
| adverb | Answers the questions: How? When? Where? To what degree or extent? |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| INEPT | CLUMSY |
| FINESSE | SKILLFUL; TACTFUL, REFINEMENT AND DELICACY OF PERFORMANCE |
| ARCHAIC | OUTDATED |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| CONDESCENDING | displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| SARCASTIC | BOB WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ___ TO HIS MOTHER. |
| GRAVE | SOMBER OR SOLEMN; DANGEROUS |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| RESOLUTION | WHEN ALL THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP |
| FALLING ACTION | EVENTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE CLIMAX |
| CLIMAX | POINT OF NO RETURN; POINT OF MOST INTENSE INTEREST |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CLIMAX |
| NARRATIVE HOOK | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT GRABS THE READER'S ATTENTION |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS THE BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| PLOT | THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN A STORY |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE PROSE FICTION |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| Pun | play on words |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAIN A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| CYNICAL | PESSIMISTIC; SKEPTICAL |
| POINT OF VIEW | THE PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH A STORY IS TOLD |
| FIRST PERSON | CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRONOUN "I" |
| THIRD PERSON | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STROY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| OMNISCIENT | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION | THE AUTHOR TELLS THE AUDIENCE WHAT THE CHARACTER IS LIKE |
| INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION | THE READER MUST USE THE CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND ACTIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CHARACTER IS REALLY LIKE |
| IMPARTIAL | UNPREJUDICED; UNBIASED |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| pun | Soldiers in plays like to Shakespeares. |
| pun | A former doctor, while auditioning for a play, broke his leg. But luckily, he could still make the cast. |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAINT A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| mood | the way a work of literature makes the reader feel |
| tone | the author's attitude toward the subject of the work |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| assonance | repetition of internal vowel sounds |
| onomatopoeia | words that represent sounds |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| characterization | how an author describes her characters; can be direct or indirect |
| theme | central message of a work |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| IMPARTIAL | I HOPE THAT THE JURY IS __ WHEN YOU GO TO COURT. |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| BLATANT | OBVIOUS |
| CREDIBLE | THE ATTORNEY THOUGHT THAT BOB WOULD MAKE A BELIEVABLE, ______ WITNESS. |
| PERIOD | THE PUNCTION MARK MOST OFTEN USED TO SEPARATE SENTENCES. |
| COMMA | USED BEFORE ITEMS IN A LIST |
| COMMA | USED WHEN A COORDINATING CONJUNCTION SEPARATES 2 SENTENCES |
| SEMICOLON | LIKE A WEAK PERIOD; CAN BE USED TO SEPARATE TWO SENTENCES |
| noun | examples are boy, house, car, and cat |
| adjective | Examples: sweet, kind, gentle, and ugly |
| adverb | Examples: sweetly, kindly, arrogantly, quickly |
| pronoun | Examples: he, she, they, me, we, us, it, you |
| preposition | Examples: to, after, under, beyond, beside |
| infinitive | Examples: to dance, to run, to talk, to play |
| comma splice | Ex.: Tom went to the store, he bought milk. |
| run on sentence | Ex.: Carly told her parents she was studying however she was talking on the phone. |
| fragment | Ex. In the morning after we go to Grandma's house. |
| satire | use of irony to mock a custom, habit or idea that seems silly |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| dialogue | conversation involving two or more people or characters |
| epic | a long story., often told in verse, that tells of a culture's heroes and gods |
| imagery | the images in a poem or passage considered all together |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place inside the mind of the character |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| myth | a story that explains the beginning of things or events in the natural world. These objects are explained as being caused by some supernatural force or being, often a god. |
| narrative poem | a verse that tells a story |
| theme | a central idea in a literary work |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| ASSONANCE | THE TERM THAT BEST APPLIES IS___. |
| CONJUNCTION | EXAMPLES: NOR, OR, BUT, FOR, YET, AND, SO |
| GERUND | NOUN THAT ENDS IN ING |
| INFINITIVE | TO PLUS A VERB |
| COMMA SPLICE | Bob wen to the store, he bought milk. |
| fragment | an incomplete sentence |
| run on | when 2 sentences are incorrectly put together without punctuation |
| their | My parents lost (there,they're,their) luggage on the trip. |
| there | Put the books over (there,their,they're). |
| They're | (There, They're, Their) going to visit Grandma tomorrow. |
| underlining/italics | What should be done to the titles of movies |
| quotation marks | what should be done to the titles of short stories |
| sentence | an independent clause; it can stand alone. |
| NOUN | PERSON, PLACE, THING, IDEA |
| NOUN | EXAMPLES: BOB, BOOK, CAT, PEACE |
| VERB | AN ACTION OR STATE OF BEING |
| VERB | EX: DANCE, RUN, IS, JUMP, ARE, WERE |
| LINKING VERB | LINKS THE SUBJECT TO AN ADJECTIVE OR A NOUN THAT DESCRIBES IT |
| GERUND | NOUN THAT ENDS IN ING |
| INFINITIVE | TO PLUS A VERB |
| INFINITIVE | EX: TO RUN, TO LAUGH, TO CRY |
| PRONOUN | WORDS THAT REPLACE NOUNS |
| PRONOUN | HE, SHE, THEY, YOU, US, WE |
| ADJECTIVE | PRETTY, SWEET, UGLY, TALL |
| ADJECTIVE | WORDS THAT DESCRIBE NOUNS |
| ADVERB | WORDS THAT DESCRIBE NOUNS OR ADJECTIVES |
| ADVERB | HAPPILY, SADLY, HUNGRILY, LOUDLY |
| CONJUNCTION | CONNECTING WORDS |
| CONJUNCTION | AND, NOR, BUT, YET, SO, OR, FOR |
| SENTENCE | AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE, CAN STAND ALONE |
| RUN ON | WHEN TWO OR MORE SENTENCES ARE STUCK TOGETHER WITHOUT THE PROPER PUNCTUATION |
| COMMA SPLICE | WHEN TWO SENTENCES ARE STUCK TOGETHER INCORRECTLY USING ONLY A COMMA |
| FRAGMENT | AN INCOMPLETE SENTENCE |
| FRAGMENT | Because we wanted to go to the store. |
| SENTENCE | Because we wanted to go to the store, we got up early this morning. |
| run on | Sharon and her mother went to the mall they bought new shoes and new purses. |
| comma splice | Aaron and his brother volunteered at the animal shelter, they worked every Saturday last summer. |
| apostrophe | piece of punctuation used to show possession |
| apostrophe | piece of punctuation used in a contraction |
| preposition | words that show position |
| preposition | beside, beyond, under, over, of, after |
| allusion | Timmy has the strength of Hercules. |
| allusion | a reference to something outside the work; can be from history, myth, the bible, etc. |
| alliteration | Callie and Cameron caught crayfish. |
| alliteration | the repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style |
| clarity | If your writing is not clear, then it lacks ___. |
| denotation | dictionary definition |
| quotation marks | punctuation used to indicate what a person has said |
| quotation marks | punctuation used to indicate the title of a poem or short story |
| first person | told from the perspective of a person in the story |
| first person | uses the pronoun I |
| underlining/italics | indicates the title of a movie or book |
| consonance | the repetition of internal consonant sounds |
| theme | an idea that can be seen throughout the story |
| irony | when the opposite of what you expect to happen occurs |
| onomatopoeia | The clanking of the chains and the howling of the wind told us that the night would be an adventure. |
| onomatopoeia | words that represent sounds |
| mood | the way a work of literature makes the reader feel |
| tone | the way |
| semicolon | can be used to separate to related sentences and is used with a conjunctive adverb |
| semicolon | What piece of punctuation is needed? John wanted a new car therefore, he got another job. |
| gerund | noun that sends in ing |
| gerund | Reading is my hobby. "Reading" is a __. |
| conflict | the problem or complication in the story |
| simile | She was a beautiful as a flower. |
| symbol | something seen that stands for something unseen |
| omniscient | point of view that is all-knowing |
| protagonist | Examples are Odysseus, Katniss, Equality, and Scout. |
| personification | The sun smiled on the people enjoying the picnic. |
| detached | disconnected; showing a lack of emotional involvement |
| assonance | repetition of internal vowel sounds |
| colon | punctuation used in time and sometimes before a list |
| anecdote | The speaker began his speech with an amusing ___. |
| fiction | Examples are HOLES, THE HUNGER GAMES, HARRISON BERGERON, AND THE GIFT OF THE MAGI. |
| OXYMORON | HER NEW DRESS IS PRETTY UGLY. |
| ESSAY | A SHORT PIECE OF NONFICTION WRITING ABOUT A SINGLE TOPIC |
| CONNOTATION | THE NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS THAT A PERSON HAS WITH A WORD |
| COUPLET | GEORGIE PORGIE PUDDIN' AN PIE/ KISSED THE GIRLS AND MADE THEM CRY. |
| ARTICLE | A, AN, or, THE |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| verse | the opposite of prose; POETRY |
| Paradox | A statement that seems to be contradictory but actually presents a truth |
| Allusion | A reference to something outside the work; Usually mythical |
| Foil | A character who seems to be the opposite of the main character; a character who helps emphasize the traits of another character through contrast |
| Sympathetic | Adj. comprehending the needs |
| Facetious | adj. not meant to be taken seriously or literally; amusing; humorous; lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential |
| Objective | adj. not influenced by personal feelings |
| Contemptuous | Adj. showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful. |
| Portentous | Adj. Significant; prophetic; foreboding; foreshadowing something bad |
| Decree | N. a legally binding command or decision |
| Adversary | a person |
| Chaste | Adj. Free from obscenity; decent; pure |
| Connotation | All the feelings associated with a word. |
| Perturb | V. to disturb greatly |
| Denotation | Dictionary definition of a word |
| Relegate | v. To send off or consign |
| Parallelism | Repetition of grammatical structure |
| Prose | The opposite of poetry |
| Imagery | Words that paint a picture; the use of words to recreate sensory experience; language that appeals to the five senses |
| Paradox | “The silence echoed in the hallway” and “She heard me speaking |
| Chaste | The Carmelite nuns chose to live __ lives and dedicate their time to God. |
| Relegate | Mom decided to __ Dad’s pool table to the basement so that she could turn the den into an office. |
| Perturb | It will really __ Mom if you don’t take out the trash. That annoys her. |
| Decree | Everyone was afraid to break the rules because of the king’s __ that violators would be punished severely. |
| Prose | When you write a paragraph |
| Facetious | While Jim’s __ remarks made us laugh |
| Portentous | The __ music in the horror movie told us that someone would die soon. |
| Denotation | I had to use the dictionary to find the __ of the word. |
| Imagery | “The sweet |
| Objective | In order to be an impartial jury member |
| Sympathetic | Tammy is a __person. Other people’s problems make her sad. |
| Adversaries | The Capulets and the Montagues are __. |
| Foil | Mercutio is a__to Romeo because they have opposite opinions about love |
| Connotations | Many words have different __ for different people. Some people have negative feelings or __ associated with words like “pig.” |
| Contemptuous | Tybalt is __ of all the Montagues. |
| Allusion | Jake has the strength of Hercules is an __to Greek mythology. |
| Verse | Since the Odyssey is an epic poem |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| dynamic character | character who changes dramatically |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| foreshadowing | hints of things to come |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| static character | character doesn't change |
| theme | author's message |
| mood | atmosphere a work creates |
| tone | author's attitude |
| point of view | 1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| literary devices | rhetorical elements used to create a desired mood ortone in a piece of writing |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| personification | metaphorical figure of speech in which the a nunhuman is given human qualities |
| simile | a comparison of two dissimilar things, using comparison words |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| tone | the reflections of an author's attitude toward the topic and the audience as suggested by his or her word choices and stylistic effors |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| irony | the direct opposite of what is said or done |
| onomatopoeia | sounds associated with an object |
| personification | to give inanimate objects human feelings and attributes |
| adjective | word that describes somebody or something. |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells "how, when, where, why, how often, and how much." There are 4 classifications: time, place, manner, and degree. |
| adverbial phrase | a phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Infinitive or prepositional phrases can be used as adverbial phrases. |
| gerund | verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun. |
| grammar | the study of the structure and features of a language. |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| initial incident of conflict | narrative hook |
| dynamic character | character who changes dramatically |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| foreshadowing | hints of things to come |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| static character | character doesn't change |
| theme | author's message |
| mood | atmosphere a work creates |
| tone | author's attitude |
| point of view | 1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| shock of recognition | seeing yourself in a situation or a character |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| thesis | a statement or idea |
| grammar | the study of the structure and features of a language. |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| litotes | Bill Gates is rather well-off |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| synecdoche | "Have you got your wheels, man?" |
| conceit | "My compass love for you is true." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| antithesis | "Wretches hang that jury-men may dine." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| metonymy | "The White House has responded to the criticism." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| SEMICOLON | USED TO SEPARATE TWO INDEPENDANT CLAUSES THAT ARE RELATED. |
| PERIOD | USED AT THE END OF A SENTENCE |
| COLON | OFTEN USED BEFORE A LIST |
| QUOTATION MARKS | USED AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A QUOTE |
| To avoid confusion, use _____ to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more. | COMMAS |
| I am, as you have probably noticed, very nervous about this. | Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the flow of the sentence. |
| If you are not sure about this, let me know now. | When starting a sentence with a weak clause, use a comma after it. |
| If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description following it is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas. | Freddy, who has a limp, was in an auto accident. |
| Use a comma to separate two strong clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction-and, or, but, for, nor. | I have painted the entire house, but he is still working on sanding the doors. |
| Use commas surrounding words such as therefore and however when they are used as interruptors. | I would be happy, however, to volunteer for the Red Cross. |
| Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out. | Call me tomorrow; I will give you my answer then. |
| Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas. | This conference has people who have come from Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles, California; and Nashville, Tennessee. |
| Use the apostrophe with contractions. The apostrophe is always placed at the spot where the letter(s) has been removed. | don't, isn't |
| Use the apostrophe to show possession. Place the apostrophe before the s to show singular possession. | one boy's hat |
| To show plural possession, make the noun plural first. Then immediately use the apostrophe. | two boys' hats |
| noun | A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. |
| common noun | A word that names an ordinary noun. |
| proper noun | A word that names a specific noun. |
| pronoun | A word that takes the place of a noun. |
| adjective | A word that modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun. |
| adverb | A word that modifies (describes) a verb, adjective, or adverb. |
| verb | A word that shows action or state of being. |
| helping verb | A word that helps the main verb. |
| linking verb | A word that links the subject to a noun, pronoun, or adjective in the predicate. |
| preposition | A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. |
| conjunction | A word that joins words or groups of words. |
| article | The adjectives A, AN, THE. |
| interjection | An exclamatory word that expresses emotion. It stands alone - away from the rest of the sentence. |
| adjective | Answers the questions: What kind? Which one? How many? |
| adverb | Answers the questions: How? When? Where? To what degree or extent? |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| inference | a guess of what can be |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| dynamic character | the character that changes (Scrooge) |
| static character | the character that does not change |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| tone | author's attitude |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| synecdoche | "Have you got your wheels, man?" |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| metonymy | "The White House has responded to the criticism." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| ANTITHESIS | "To be or not to be..." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| autobiography | form on nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story |
| biography | form on nonfiction in which a writer tellst he life story of another person |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines |
| character | a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nongiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| moral | a lesson taught by a literary work |
| motivation | a reason that explains or partially explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narration | writing that tells a story |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| oral tradition | passing of songs, stories, and poems from generation to generation by word of mouth |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| speaker | the imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem |
| stage directions | notes included in a drama to describe how the work is to be performed or staged |
| stanza | a formal division of lines ina poem, considered as a unit |
| suspense | a feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about eh outcome of events in a literary work |
| symbol | anything that stands for or represents something else |
| theme | a central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| Nouns | name persons, places, things, or ideas |
| Pronouns | take the place of nouns |
| Adjectives | describe or modify nouns or pronouns |
| Verbs | express action or being |
| Adverbs | describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs |
| Conjunctions | join words or groups of words |
| Prepositions | relate nouns or pronouns to other words in a sentences |
| Interjections | express emotion or feeling |
| proper noun | Harry Potter |
| adjective | scary |
| adverb | suddenly |
| common noun | homework |
| pronoun | it |
| action verb | leap |
| preposition | in |
| conjunction | and |
| interjection | wow |
| article/adjective | the |
| Narrative Poem | A verse that tells a story |
| Dramatic Poem | A verse that relies heavily on dramatic elements such as monologue or dialogue |
| Sonnet | A fourteen line poem that follows one of a number of different rhyme themes |
| Ode | A lofty lyric poem on a serious theme |
| Monologue | One person speaking |
| Dialogue | More than one person speaking |
| Free Verse | Poetry that avoids use of regular rhyme, rhythm, meter, or division into stanzas |
| Lyric Poem | A highly musical verse that expresses the emotions of a speaker |
| Stanza | A group of lines in a poem |
| End Rhyme | Rhyming words at the end of lines |
| Internal Rhyme | Rhyming words within lines |
| Slant Rhyme | Half rhyme, near rhyme, or off rhyme is the substitution of assonance or consonance for true rhyme |
| Alliteration | The repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| Consonance | A kind of slant rhyme in which the ending consonant sounds of two words match, but the preceding vowel sound does not |
| Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different consonant sounds |
| Onomatopoeia | The use of words or phrases that sound like the things to which they refer (ex: click, snap, and pow) |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| Simile | A comparison using like or as |
| Quatrain | Four lines |
| Rhythm | The pattern of beats or stresses in a line of verse or prose |
| Prose | Broad term used to describe all writing that is not drama or poetry |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| literary devices | rhetorical elements used to create a desired mood ortone in a piece of writing |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| personification | metaphorical figure of speech in which the a nunhuman is given human qualities |
| simile | a comparison of two dissimilar things, using comparison words |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| tone | the reflections of an author's attitude toward the topic and the audience as suggested by his or her word choices and stylistic effors |
| voice | the expression of an author's self or identity as relected in sentence construction or word choices |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| sit | to rest in an upright, sitting position |
| set | to put or place (something) |
| lie | to rest in a reclining position |
| lay | like set; it means to put something down |
| rise | to go up or to get up |
| raise | to lift up or to cause to go up |
| , comma | to make smaller breaks within a sentence, e.g after a clause or a joining word |
| ! exclamation mark | to indicate strong feelings, e.g. surprise, anger, indignation |
| ? question mark | to end a question |
| ; semi-colon | to make a break in a long sentence, which is longer than a comma and shorter than a full stop |
| : colon | before a list |
| - hyphen | to join two words to make a new word |
| 's apostrophe 'S' | to show that something belongs to somebody or to show 2 words have been put together |
| " " speech marke, or quotation marks | to show which words were spoken |
| adjective | exhausted |
| conjunction | because |
| noun | students |
| pronoun | they |
| exhausted | adjective |
| verb | snored |
| adverb | loudly |
| article | The |
| preposition | during |
| object of preposition | class |
| adverb | late |
| possessive pronoun | their |
| noun | milkshakes |
| verb | snored |
| noun- subject of sentence | students |
| adverb phrase (when) | the night before |
| semicolon | used like a period |
| apostrophe | used to show possession |
| colon | used before a list |
| alliteration | pink panther |
| assonance | how now |
| simile | You are as angry as a bee. |
| onomatopoeia | The crackling fire was cozy. |
| metaphor | You are the sunshine of my life. |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| passive | when the subject receives the action of a verb |
| adjective | word that describes somebody or something. |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells "how, when, where, why, how often, and how much." There are 4 classifications: time, place, manner, and degree. |
| clause | group of related words that has both a subject and a predicate. |
| gerund | verb form that ends in -ing and is used as a noun. |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| speech delivered by a character who is alone onstage | soliloquy |
| a type of story that portrays the fall of a noble personusually due to a tragic weakness or flaw in his/her character | tragedy |
| the protagonist in a tragedy who suffers a downfall due to a fatal flaw | tragic hero |
| a speech or performance given entirely by one person or one character | monologue |
| a metrical pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables common in poetry and in Shakespearean plays. contains 10 syllable per line | iambic pentameter |
| literature meant to be performed onstage | drama |
| a lighter form of drama; the purpose is to amuse and it usually has a happy ending | comedy |
| a play on word | puns |
| a fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter | sonnet |
| an essential element of Greek dramas; a group of people who speak in a collective voice often restating the action of the play | chorus |
| The sequence of events in a story | plot |
| Poems that tell a story | narrative poems |
| A story that involves the reader in guessing who committed the crime or deed | mystery |
| Prose that explains ideas or is about real events | nonfiction |
| A story about a person written by that person | autobiography |
| An author's account or story of another person's life | biography |
| A Japanese form of poetry with three lines of 17 syllables | haiku |
| Poetry that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker | lyric |
| when character gets what he deserves | poetic justice |
| The part of the story that grabs the reader's attention | narrative hook |
| High point in a story; the point of no return | climax |
| The part of a story or play that explains the background or makes conflict clear | exposition |
| The action that takes place in the story after the climax | falling action |
| repetition of the beginning consonant sound | alliteration |
| the speaker or writer's attitude toward the subject of the work | tone |
| a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero | epic |
| reference to something outside of the work | allusion |
| when a character has a problem with an element of society | person vs. society |
| a word or phrase used in place of a person's name to help characterize that person | epithet |
| prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events | fiction |
| a person or thing who opposes the protagonist | antagonist |
| the writer says one thing and means another | verbal irony |
| when a story's sequence is interrupted and a character goes back to an earlier time | flashback |
| repetition of the internal vowel sound | assonance |
| when a character struggles against some outside force | external conflict |
| conflict that exists within a character | internal conflict |
| the use of clues that suggest events yet to come | foreshadowing |
| the way an author reveals his characters | characterization |
| a French word meaning form or type | genre |
| the repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words | consonance |
| a word or phrase that is overused | cliche |
| the feeling a work of literature evokes in the reader | mood |
| a character whose actions are inspiring or noble and who overcomes difficulty | hero |
| all the emotions or feelings a word arouses | connotation |
| a character who stays the same | static character |
| a recurring and familiar pattern in literature like a journey or a wise old man | archetype |
| the dictionary definition of a word | imagery |
| when something is different than it is supposed to be or thought to be | irony |
| comparison of two unlike things without using like or as | metaphor |
| time and place of a literary work | setting |
| a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as | simile |
| an author's unique way of writing that involves word choice and sentence patterns | style |
| central truth or idea | theme |
| a fictional tale that explains the actions or gods or heroes | myth |
| words that imitate sounds | onmatopoeia |
| A conversation between at least two characters | dialogue |
| Instructions for staging a play | stage directions |
| In the middle of things | in medias res |
| When a characters words are heard by the audience but not by the other characters onstage | aside |
| An author's assumed or fake name | pseudonym |
| An extended comparison that compares a heroic event to some everyday occurrence using the words like or as | epic simile |
| Lovely lilting lines of like letters. | alliteration |
| An extreme exaggeration | hyperbole |
| Jumbo shrimp | oxymoron |
| She is the star in my sky. | alliteration and metaphor |
| When a character struggles with another character. | person vs. person conflict |
| The trees whispered in the breeze. | assonance and personification |
| The perspective from which a story is told | point of view |
| When the story is told from the perspective of someone outside of the events of the story but who reveals only one character's thoughts | third person |
| When the story is told from the perspective of someone outside of the events by who knows and reveals all the character's thoughts and feelings | omniscient |
| a character with only one personality trait | flat character |
| poem which tells the story of a person from the past and is often set to music | ballas |
| a character who changes | dynamic character |
| a character with more than one personality trait | round character |
| a statement that seems to be contradictory but actually presents a truth | paradox |
| rhyming words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry | end rhyme |
| stories that center upon or incorporate some historical event | historical fiction |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| autobiography | form on nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines |
| character | a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nonfiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narration | writing that tells a story |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| exaggeration | stretching of the truth |
| action verb | a word that shows action |
| adjective | describes a noun or a pronoun |
| adverb | describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb |
| anecdote | a short story about someone |
| antonyms | opposite words |
| character | a person, animal, or creature in a story |
| conjunction | a word that joins other words |
| context clue | helps a reader find the meaning of an unkown word |
| future tense | shows an action that will happen in the future |
| haiku | a Japanese verse form |
| interjection | expresses strong feeling or emotion |
| interrogative sentence | asks a question |
| linking verb | connects the subject and the predicate |
| main verb | most important word in the predicate |
| metaphor | compares two things by saying one thing is the other |
| noun | a person, a place, a thing or an idea |
| part of speech | tells how a word is used in a sentence |
| plot | series of events in a story itne order in which they happen |
| plural noun | more than one person, place, or thing |
| possessive noun | shows ownership |
| posseive pronoun | my, your, his, her, its, our, and their |
| preposition | relates the noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun |
| proper noun | names a particular person, place, or thing |
| alliteration | repetition of an initial consonant sound |
| personification | giving life to inanimate objects |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like what they mean |
| apostrophe | a direct address to a person or thing as if it were alive and present |
| simile | comparing two dissimilar objects using like or as |
| metaphor | an implied comparison between two dissimilar things whereby one object becomes the other |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration |
| irony | when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected |
| oxymoron | a contradiction of terms |
| synedoche | part for the whole |
| the feelings a word arouses | connotation |
| how now brown cow | assonance |
| She sells sea shells. | alliteration |
| repetition of internal consonant sounds | consonance |
| extreme exaggeration | hyperbole |
| when a character says one thing but means another | verbal irony |
| when the audience knows more than the character | dramatic irony |
| normal everyday writing in sentences | prose |
| the language of poetry | verse |
| repetition of grammatical structure | parallelism |
| a long prose narrative | novel |
| punctuation mark used in a contraction or to show possession | apostrophe |
| used after an introductory clause | comma |
| when a character gets what he deserves | poetic justice |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike objects; USES LIKE or AS |
| hyperbole | a large exaggeration |
| personification | giving an non-human thing human qualities |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like their meaning |
| alliteration | a series of words that begin with the same letter |
| idiom | a common expression used to mean something else |
| alliteration | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| literal language | means exactly what it says |
| metaphor | Your eyes are diamonds. |
| simile | Your eyes are like diamonds. |
| hyperbole | There were a thousand people at my party. |
| onomatopoeia | We watched the BLIP on the computer monitor. |
| personification | The stars reached down from the sky. |
| metaphor | a comparison of two unlike objects;does NOT use LIKE or AS |
| comma | punctuation mark used to separate items in a series |
| denotation | dictionary definition |
| colon | punctuation mark used before a list |
| omniscient | the narrator knows all the characters' thoughts |
| first person | uses the pronoun I |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| exposition | explains background and makes conflict clear |
| mood | the feelings evoked in the reader |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| noun | A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. |
| common noun | A word that names an ordinary noun. |
| proper noun | A word that names a specific noun. |
| pronoun | A word that takes the place of a noun. |
| adjective | A word that modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun. |
| adverb | A word that modifies (describes) a verb, adjective, or adverb. |
| verb | A word that shows action or state of being. |
| preposition | A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. |
| conjunction | A word that joins words or groups of words. |
| article | The adjectives A, AN, THE. |
| interjection | An exclamatory word that expresses emotion. It stands alone - away from the rest of the sentence. |
| adjective | Answers the questions: What kind? Which one? How many? |
| adverb | Answers the questions: How? When? Where? To what degree or extent? |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| inference | a guess of what can be |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| dynamic character | the character that changes (Scrooge) |
| static character | the character that does not change |
| setting | time and place |
| protagonist | main character with problem |
| antagonist | protagonist's problem |
| plot | events in a story |
| climax | point of greatest emotion in story |
| denouement | conclusion,resolution |
| rising action | complications |
| exposition | beginning of plot |
| irony | opposite happens of what is expected |
| pun | play on words |
| allusion | making reference to another work of art |
| flashback | interrupts chronological plot |
| tone | author's attitude |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| synecdoche | "Have you got your wheels, man?" |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| metonymy | "The White House has responded to the criticism." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| alliteration | repetition of the first letters of words |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| personification | giving human qualities to something that is not |
| metaphor | comparison with a hidden meaning |
| simile | comparison using "like" or "as" |
| symbolism | a word,thing or picture that represents something else |
| foreshadowing | clues in a story about what will happen later |
| irony | meaning one thing but saying the opposite |
| onomatopeia | a word that imitates the sound |
| paradox | a statement that has a conflicting meaning |
| sarcasm | a hurtful remark |
| satire | use of irony to mock a custom, habit or idea that seems silly |
| oxymoron | a statement that contains contradictory terms |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of syllables as in Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| central conflict | the main struggle or problem in the plot of a poem, story or play |
| character | a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating or describing a character, by showing what they say, do and think, showing what other characters say about them, and by showing what physical features, dress and personality they display |
| climax | the point of highest interest and suspense in a literary work. It sometimes signals the turning point of the action in a story or play |
| coming-of-age story | a tale in which a young person makes a discovery about himself or herself or about the world. It also allows different generations to learn about each other |
| concrete poem | a poem with a shape that suggests its subject |
| dialogue | conversation involving two or more people or characters |
| epic | a long story., often told in verse, that tells of a culture's heroes and gods |
| external conflict | a struggle that takes place between a character and something outside that character such as another character, society or nature |
| first person | narrator (person telling the story) takes part in the action and refers to himself or herself using words such as I and we |
| foreshadowing | the act of hinting at events that will happen later in a literary work |
| image | language that creates a concrete representation of an object or an experience |
| imagery | the images in a poem or passage considered all together |
| inciting incident | the event that introduces the central conflict or struggle, in a poem, story, or play |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place inside the mind of the character |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| myth | a story that explains the beginning of things or events in the natural world. These objects are explained as being caused by some supernatural force or being, often a god. |
| narrative poem | a verse that tells a story |
| novella | a work of fiction shorter than a novel but longer that a short story |
| one-dimensional character | flat character who reveals only one quality or character trait |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words or phrases like meow or beep that sound like what they name |
| personification | a figure of speech in which something not human is described as if it were human |
| repetition | more than one use of a sound, word, or group of words |
| resolution | the point in a poem, story, or play at which the central conflict or struggle ends |
| rhythm | the pattern of beats in a line poetry or prose |
| setting | the time and place in which a literary work happens |
| simile | a comparison using like or as |
| stress | the amount of emphasis given to a syllable |
| symbol | a thing that stands for or represents both itself and something else |
| tag lines | a phrase like she said used in a story to tell who is speaking |
| theme | a central idea in a literary work |
| third person point of view | in a story, when the narrator does not take part in the action and tells the story using words such as he and she and avoiding the use of I and we |
| three-dimensional character | a character who seems to have all the complexities of an actual human being |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| shock of recognition | seeing yourself in a situation or a character |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| speech delivered by a character who is alone onstage | soliloquy |
| a type of story that portrays the fall of a noble personusually due to a tragic weakness or flaw in his/her character | tragedy |
| the protagonist in a tragedy who suffers a downfall due to a fatal flaw | tragic hero |
| a speech or performance given entirely by one person or one character | monologue |
| a metrical pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables common in poetry and in Shakespearean plays. contains 10 syllable per line | iambic pentameter |
| literature meant to be performed onstage | drama |
| a lighter form of drama; the purpose is to amuse and it usually has a happy ending | comedy |
| a play on word | puns |
| a fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter | sonnet |
| an essential element of Greek dramas; a group of people who speak in a collective voice often restating the action of the play | chorus |
| The sequence of events in a story | plot |
| Poems that tell a story | narrative poems |
| A story that involves the reader in guessing who committed the crime or deed | mystery |
| Prose that explains ideas or is about real events | nonfiction |
| A story about a person written by that person | autobiography |
| An author's account or story of another person's life | biography |
| A Japanese form of poetry with three lines of 17 syllables | haiki |
| Poetry that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker | lyric |
| when character gets what he deserves | poetic justice |
| The part of the story that grabs the reader's attention | narrative hook |
| High point in a story; the point of no return | climax |
| The part of a story or play that explains the background or makes conflict clear | exposition |
| The action that takes place in the story after the climax | falling action |
| repetition of the beginning consonant sound | alliteration |
| the speaker or writer's attitude toward the subject of the work | tone |
| a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero | epic |
| reference to something outside of the work | allusion |
| when a character has a problem with an element of society | person vs. society |
| a word or phrase used in place of a person's name to help characterize that person | epithet |
| prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events | fiction |
| a person or thing who opposes the protagonist | antagonist |
| the writer says one thing and means another | verbal irony |
| when a story's sequence is interrupted and a character goes back to an earlier time | flashback |
| repetition of the internal vowel sound | assonance |
| when a character struggles against some outside force | external conflict |
| conflict that exists within a character | internal conflict |
| the use of clues that suggest events yet to come | foreshadowing |
| the way an author reveals his characters | characterization |
| a French word meaning form or type | genre |
| the repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words | consonance |
| a word or phrase that is overused | cliche |
| the feeling a work of literature evokes in the reader | mood |
| a character whose actions are inspiring or noble and who overcomes difficulty | hero |
| all the emotions or feelings a word arouses | connotation |
| a character who stays the same | static character |
| a recurring and familiar pattern in literature like a journey or a wise old man | archetype |
| the dictionary definition of a word | imagery |
| when something is different than it is supposed to be or thought to be | irony |
| comparison of two unlike things without using like or as | metaphor |
| time and place of a literary work | setting |
| a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as | simile |
| an author's unique way of writing that involves word choice and sentence patterns | style |
| central truth or idea | theme |
| a fictional tale that explains the actions or gods or heroes | myth |
| words that imitate sounds | onmatopoeia |
| A conversation between at least two characters | dialogue |
| Instructions for staging a play | stage directions |
| In the middle of things | in medias res |
| When a characters words are heard by the audience but not by the other characters onstage | aside |
| An author's assumed or fake name | pseudonym |
| An almost superhuman character that represents the values of an entire nation or culture--He is also clever | strong and brave. |
| An extended comparison that compares a heroic event to some everyday occurrence using the words like or as | epic simile |
| Lovely lilting lines of like letters. | alliteration |
| An extreme exaggeration | hyperbole |
| Jumbo shrimp | oxymoron |
| She is the star in my sky. | alliteration and metaphor |
| When a character struggles with another character. | person vs. person conflict |
| The trees whispered in the breeze. | assonance and personification |
| The perspective from which a story is told | point of view |
| When the story is told from the perspective of someone outside of the events of the story but who reveals only one character's thoughts | third person |
| When the story is told from the perspective of someone outside of the events by who knows and reveals all the character's thoughts and feelings | omniscient |
| a character with only one personality trait | flat character |
| poem which tells the story of a person from the past and is often set to music | ballas |
| a character who changes | dynamic character |
| a character with more than one personality trait | round character |
| a statement that seems to be contradictory but actually presents a truth | paradox |
| rhyming words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry | end rhyme |
| stories that center upon or incorporate some historical event | historical fiction |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Simile | creation of an image with like or as |
| Apostrophe | direct address of person or thing |
| Alliteration | repetition of consonants |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Climax | high point |
| Puns | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| Oxymoron | a linking of an adjective and noun which contradict each other |
| Paradox | a contradictory situation |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| autobiography | form on nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines |
| character | a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nongiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| motivation | a reason that explains or partially explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | 24. displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| SOLILOQUY | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| characterization | the act of creating or describing a character, by showing what they say, do and think, showing what other characters say about them, and by showing what physical features, dress and personality they display |
| epic | a long story., often told in verse, that tells of a culture's heroes and gods |
| external conflict | a struggle that takes place between a character and something outside that character such as another character, society or nature |
| foreshadowing | the act of hinting at events that will happen later in a literary work |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place inside the mind of the character |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | 24. displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| antagonist | the person who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE MELANCHOLY GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| FICKLE | THE ___ BOY BROKE UP WITH JENNY BECAUSE HE SAW TINA AND FELL IN LOVE. |
| SHRIFT | I MUST GO TO ___ IN ORDER TO CONFESS MY SINS. |
| SARCASTIC | BOB WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ___ TO HIS MOTHER. |
| MALEVOLENT | THE ___ SPIRITS THREATENED US. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ LADY DONATED MONEY TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. |
| APOTHECARY | THE ___ MADE MEDICINE FOR THE PATIENT. |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| SOLILOQUY | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| ASIDE | WHEN A CHARACTER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE AND NOT TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | INSTRUCTIONS FOR STAGING A PLAY |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| DRAMA | LITERATURE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ON STAGE |
| TRAGEDY | A PLAY IN WHICH THE MAIN CHARACTER SUFFERS A DOWNFALL |
| TRAGIC HERO | THE MAIN CHARACTER IN A TRAGEDY; HE SUFFERS A DOWNFALL DUE TO A FATAL OR TRAGIC FLAW |
| TRAGIC FLAW | THE FLAW THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF THE MAIN CHARACTER |
| CHORUS | A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COME ONSTAGE TO SUMMARIZE WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN |
| BENEVOLENT | CHARACTERIZED BY CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| MALEVOLENT | HAVING OR EXHIBITING ILL WILL; WISHING TO HARM OTHERS; MALICIOUS |
| SARCASTIC | CONTEMPTUOUS OR IRONIC IN MANNER OR WIT; NASTY OR MOCKING IN SPEECH |
| FLIPPANT | MARKED BY DISRESPECTFUL LEVITY OR CASUALNESS; IRREVERENT |
| IMPARTIAL | UNPREJUDICED; UNBIASED |
| APOTHECARY | SOMEONE WHO PREPARES AND SELLS MEDICINES |
| SHRIFT | CONFESSION TO A PRIEST |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM WRITTEN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| IAMBIC PENTAMETER | LINES OF POETRY CONSISTING OF FIVE IAMBIC FEET; THERE WILL BE TEN SYLLABLES PER LINE |
| alliteration | repetition of the first letters of words |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE MELANCHOLY GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| FICKLE | THE ___ BOY BROKE UP WITH JENNY BECAUSE HE SAW TINA AND FELL IN LOVE. |
| SHRIFT | I MUST GO TO ___ IN ORDER TO CONFESS MY SINS. |
| SARCASTIC | BOB WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ___ TO HIS MOTHER. |
| MALEVOLENT | THE ___ SPIRITS THREATENED US. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ LADY DONATED MONEY TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. |
| APOTHECARY | THE ___ MADE MEDICINE FOR THE PATIENT. |
| GRAVE | SOMBER OR SOLEMN; DANGEROUS |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| EMPATHETIC | EXHIBITIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS FEELINGS |
| SERENE | CALM AND UNRUFFLED |
| TAUNTING | JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CHERISH | TO HOLD DEAR |
| RESOLUTION | WHEN ALL THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP |
| FALLING ACTION | EVENTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE CLIMAX |
| CLIMAX | POINT OF NO RETURN; POINT OF MOST INTENSE INTEREST |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CLIMAX |
| NARRATIVE HOOK | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT GRABS THE READER'S ATTENTION |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS THE BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| PLOT | THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN A STORY |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE PROSE FICTION |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| mood | the way a work of literature makes the reader feel |
| tone | the author's attitude toward the subject of the work |
| grave | Driving in bad weather could be a ___ mistake. |
| facetious | Mom was angered by his __ attitude. |
| empathetic | Anyone who has lost a beloved pet would feel ___ towards the little girl who lost her kitten. |
| serene | The fisherman enjoyed the calm, __ lake. |
| cherish | I will always ___ my memories of the past. |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| antagonist | the person who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character |
| assonance | repetition of internal vowel sounds |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words |
| onomatopoeia | words that represent sounds |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | THE CAT ATE THE RAT ON THE PLATE. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Oxymoron | a linking of an adjective and noun which contradict each other |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| metaphor | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| antagonist | the person who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character |
| assonance | repetition of internal vowel sounds |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words |
| onomatopoeia | words that represent sounds |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | THE CAT ATE THE RAT ON THE PLATE. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| MALEVOLENT | THE __ GHOST FRIGHTENED THE CHILDREN. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE __ MAN DONATED MONEY TO CHARITY. |
| IAMBIC PENTAMETER | MADE UP OF 10 SYLLABLES |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM |
| ASIDE | WHEN A CHARACTER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE AND NOT TO OTHER CHARACTERS |
| SOLILOQUY | A SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | DIRECTIONS FOR STAGING A PLAY |
| APOTHECARY | SOMEONE WHO MAKES MEDICINE |
| SHRIFT | CONFESSION |
| DRAMA | LITERATURE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ONSTAGE |
| TRAGEDY | A WORK OF LITERATURE IN WHICH THE MAIN CHARACTER SUFFERS A DOWNFALL |
| TRAGIC FLAW | THE PERSONALITY TRAIT THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF A CHARACTER |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| CHORUS | A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SUMMARIZE EACH ACT IN A PLAY |
| SARCASTIC | NASTY OR MOCKING IN SPEECH |
| SARCASTIC | I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE __ WAY THE STUDENT TALKED BACK TO HIS MOTHER. |
| FLIPPANT | DISRESPECTFUL LEVITY |
| FLIPPANT | BOB ANGERED HIS MOM BY TELLING __ JOKES AT A FUNERAL. |
| IMPARTIAL | I HOPE THAT THE JURY IS __ WHEN YOU GO TO COURT. |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| end rhyme | rhyming words at the ends of two or more lines of poetry |
| stanza | a verse paragraph |
| quatrain | a four line stanza |
| pseudonym | an author's assumed name |
| conundrum | an enigma; a puzzle |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Climax | high point |
| Puns | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| soliloquy | speech a character gives alone on stage |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| Aside | a short speech heard by audience but not characters in the play |
| iambic pentameter | a meter in poetry consisting of five unrhymed lines-stressed and unstressed syllables |
| tragedy | a drama ending in catastrophe |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| VERSE | THE OPPOSITE OF PROSE; POETRY |
| PARADOX | A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTRADICTORY BUT ACTUALLY PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. | PARADOX |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | LACKING SERIOUS INTENT; NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SHOWING OR EXPRESSING CONTEMPT OR DISDAIN |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING |
| ADVERSARY | A FOE, AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAIN A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| ADVERSARY | HIS __ CHASED HIM DOWN THE STREET. |
| CHASTE | ROSALINE HAS SWORN TO LIVE __ AND PURE. |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | THE __ AND SCORNFUL CHILD WAS PUNISHED. |
| OBJECTIVE | ZEUS COULD NOT MAKE AN __ AND IMPARTIAL DECISION ABOUT THE GOLDEN APPLE. |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| PORTENTOUS | THE THUNDER WAS A __ SIGN THAT SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN. |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING; FORESHADOWING |
| DISDAIN | TO REJECT AS BENEATH ONESELF |
| POINT OF VIEW | THE PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH A STORY IS TOLD |
| FIRST PERSON | CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRONOUN "I" |
| THIRD PERSON | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STROY WHO KNOES THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| OMNISCIENT | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION | THE AUTHOR TELLS THE AUDIENCE WHAT THE CHARACTER IS LIKE |
| INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION | THE READER MUST USE THE CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND ACTIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CHARACTER IS REALLY LIKE |
| FLAT CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO HAS ONLY ONE PERSONALITY TRAIT |
| ROUND CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WITH MANY DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TRAITS |
| HAMPER | TO HINDER OR OBSTRUCT |
| PLACID | CALM; SERENE |
| ABRASIVE | COARSE; ROUGH |
| COVERT | HIDDEN |
| COWER | TO RECOIL IN FEAR |
| CREDIBLE | BELIEVABLE |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHAMEFUL |
| BLATANT | OBVIOUS |
| BLATANT | I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE ___ LIES SHE TOLD! |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHE WAS EMBARRASSED BY HER SON'S _____ BEHAVIOR. |
| DISDAIN | CANDICE LOOKED AT THE OTHER GIRL'S CLOTHING WITH ____. |
| COWERED | FRIGHTENED BY THE ANGRY, HISSING CAT, THE PUPPY ______ UNDERNEATH THE BED. |
| CREDIBLE | THE ATTORNEY THOUGHT THAT BOB WOULD MAKE A BELIEVABLE, ______ WITNESS. |
| PLACID | THE ____ EXPRESSION ON HER FACE HID HER INNER TURMOIL. |
| ABRASIVE | HIS _____ MANNER DID NOT ENDEAR HIM TO HIS PATIENTS; THEY THOUGHT HE WAS TOO HARSH. |
| COVERT | THE AGENTS WERE SENT OUT ON A ____ OPERATION. |
| HAMPER | THE INVESTIGATION WAS _____(ED) BY CRIME SCENE CONTAMINATION. |
| abbreviation | shortened form of a word |
| action verb | a word that shows action |
| adjective | describes a noun or a pronoun |
| adverb | describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb |
| anecdote | a short story about someone |
| antonyms | opposite words |
| apostrophe | shows where a letter or letters are missing |
| character | a person, animal, or creature in a story |
| common noun | general name for a person, place or thing |
| complete predicate | all of the words telling what the subject does |
| complete subject | all of the words naming someone or something |
| conjunction | a word that joins other words |
| context clue | helps a reader find the meaning of an unkown word |
| contraction | a shortened form of two words |
| declarative sentence | makes a statement and ends with a period |
| direct object | receives the action of the verb |
| exaggeration | stretching of the truth |
| fact | true information that can be checked |
| haiku | a Japanese verse form |
| interjection | expresses strong feeling or emotion |
| interrogative sentence | asks a question |
| linking verb | connects the subject and the predicate |
| main verb | most important word in the predicate |
| metaphor | compares two things by saying one thing is the other |
| noun | a person, a place, a thing or an idea |
| object of the preposition | noun or pronoun following a preposition |
| object pronoun | me, you, him, her, it, us, and them |
| plot | series of events in a story itne order in which they happen |
| plural noun | more than one person, place, or thing |
| possessive noun | shows ownership |
| posseive pronoun | my, your, his, her, its, our, and their |
| predicate adjective | follows a linking verb and describes the subject |
| preposition | relates the noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence |
| prepositional phrase | a prepositon, its object, and any words that come between them |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun |
| proper noun | names a particular person, place, or thing |
| publishing | the stage when sriters share writing with others |
| the feelings a word arouses | connotation |
| how now brown cow | assonance |
| She sells sea shells. | alliteration |
| repetition of internal consonant sounds | consonance |
| extreme exaggeration | hyperbol |
| when a character says one thing but means another | verbal irony |
| when the audience knows more than the character | dramatic irony |
| normal everyday writing in sentences | prose |
| the language of poetry | verse |
| repetition of grammatical structure | parallelism |
| a long prose narrative | novel |
| punctuation mark used in a contraction or to show possession | apostrophe |
| used after an introductory clause | comma |
| when a character gets what he deserves | poetic justice |
| figurative language | does not mean what exactly what it says;used to add color |
| metaphor | a comparison of two unlike objects;does NOT use LIKE or AS |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike objects; USES LIKE or AS |
| hyperbole | a large exaggeration |
| personification | giving an non-human thing human qualities |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like their meaning |
| alliteration | a series of words that begin with the same letter |
| idiom/cliche | a common expression used to mean something else |
| idiom/cliche | He let the cat out of the bag. |
| alliteration | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| literal language | means exactly what it says |
| metaphor | Your eyes are diamonds. |
| simile | Your eyes are like diamonds. |
| hyperbole | There were a thousand people at my party. |
| onomatopoeia | We watched the BLIP on the computer monitor. |
| personification | The stars reached down from the sky. |
| literal language | I like pizza. |
| figurative language | Pizza is food heaven. |
| germ | vital or related |
| greg | group |
| mar | sea |
| prim | first |
| pyro | fire |
| clam | cry out |
| plu | more |
| tang | touch |
| string | bind |
| liber | free |
| junct | join |
| clud | close |
| se | apart |
| trib | pay |
| dign | worthy |
| luc | light |
| rupt | break |
| grat | pleasing |
| medi | middle |
| soph | wisdom |
| curr | run |
| tempor | time |
| migr | wander |
| trans | across |
| gamy | marriage |
| homo | same |
| spec | look |
| duct | lead |
| fer | carry |
| pend | hang |
| micro | small |
| hydro | water |
| photo | light |
| pan | all |
| penta | five |
| tele | far |
| vid | look |
| omni | all |
| ex | out |
| poly | many |
| re | again |
| hypo | under |
| pseudo | false |
| neuro | nerve |
| tomy | cut |
| hema | blood |
| proto | first |
| phon | sound |
| mono | one |
| viv | life |
| morph | shape |
| vest | clothes |
| bene | good |
| pond | weight |
| corp | body |
| dorm | sleep |
| pater | father |
| nov | new |
| punct | point |
| ject | throw |
| tion | act or state |
| loco | place |
| dox | opinion |
| amphi | both |
| magn | great |
| eu | good |
| endo | within |
| phobia | fear |
| ortho | straight |
| put | think |
| ver | true |
| matri | mother |
| mega | large |
| pop | people |
| sanqui | blood |
| morph | shape |
| vest | clothes |
| bene | good |
| pond | weight |
| corp | body |
| dorm | sleep |
| pater | father |
| nov | new |
| punct | point |
| ject | throw |
| tion | act or state |
| loco | place |
| dox | opinion |
| amphi | both |
| magn | great |
| eu | good |
| endo | within |
| phobia | fear |
| ortho | straight |
| put | think |
| ver | true |
| matri | mother |
| mega | large |
| pop | people |
| sanqui | blood |
| morph | shape |
| vest | clothes |
| bene | good |
| pond | weight |
| corp | body |
| dorm | sleep |
| pater | father |
| nov | new |
| punct | point |
| ject | throw |
| tion | act or state |
| loco | place |
| ante | before |
| anti | against |
| bi | two |
| circum | around |
| com | together |
| con | together |
| de | down |
| dis | away |
| equi | equal |
| extra | beyond |
| inter | between |
| intra | within |
| intro | into |
| mal | bad |
| mis | bad |
| non | not |
| post | after |
| pre | before |
| semi | half |
| sub | under |
| super | over |
| syn | together |
| sym | together |
| tri | three |
| un | not |
| archy | government |
| ard | always |
| cide | kill |
| ician | specialist |
| itis | infection |
| aqua | water |
| audi | hear |
| bell | war |
| cap | take |
| cise | cut |
| bio | life |
| auto | self |
| port | carry |
| scrib | write |
| logy | science |
| dict | say |
| cred | believe |
| cent | one hundred |
| neo | new |
| ad | to |
| cede | go |
| miss | send |
| centri | center |
| biblio | book |
| anthropo | man |
| archy | government |
| ard | always |
| cide | kill |
| ician | specialist |
| itis | infection |
| aqua | water |
| audi | hear |
| bell | war |
| cap | take |
| cise | cut |
| bio | life |
| auto | self |
| ped | foot or child |
| mort | death |
| carn | flesh |
| psych | soul |
| ethno | race or culture |
| gen | origin |
| nat | born |
| paleo | old |
| curs | run |
| crypt | hidden |
| cad | fall |
| capit | head |
| loqu | talk |
| sacro | holy |
| uni | one |
| ness | quality |
| alt | high |
| ics | art |
| iso | equal |
| vert | turn |
| ate | cause |
| cor | heart |
| ess | female |
| muta | change |
| fug | flee |
| ped | foot or child |
| mort | death |
| carn | flesh |
| psych | soul |
| ethno | race or culture |
| gen | origin |
| nat | born |
| paleo | old |
| curs | run |
| crypt | hidden |
| cad | fall |
| capit | head |
| loqu | talk |
| sacro | holy |
| uni | one |
| ness | quality |
| alt | high |
| ics | art |
| iso | equal |
| vert | turn |
| ate | cause |
| cor | heart |
| ess | female |
| muta | change |
| fug | flee |
| ped | foot or child |
| mort | death |
| carn | flesh |
| psych | soul |
| ethno | race or culture |
| gen | origin |
| nat | born |
| paleo | old |
| curs | run |
| crypt | hidden |
| cad | fall |
| capit | head |
| loqu | talk |
| sacro | holy |
| uni | one |
| ness | quality |
| alt | high |
| ics | art |
| iso | equal |
| vert | turn |
| ate | cause |
| cor | heart |
| ess | female |
| muta | change |
| fug | flee |
| i | plural |
| jus | law |
| lum | light |
| ann | year |
| apo | away or up |
| sen | old |
| sol | alone |
| bas | low |
| rogat | ask |
| parl | speak |
| potent | power |
| surg | rise |
| log | word or reason |
| gram | writing |
| cant | sing |
| reg | rule |
| pro | forward |
| gyn | woman |
| ag | to do |
| act | to do |
| mob | move |
| sess | sit |
| fic | make |
| nounce | tell |
| andro | man |
| i | plural |
| jus | law |
| lum | light |
| ann | year |
| apo | away or up |
| sen | old |
| sol | alone |
| bas | low |
| rogat | ask |
| parl | speak |
| potent | power |
| surg | rise |
| log | word or reason |
| gram | writing |
| cant | sing |
| reg | rule |
| pro | forward |
| gyn | woman |
| ag | to do |
| act | to do |
| mob | move |
| sess | sit |
| fic | make |
| nounce | tell |
| andro | man |
| i | plural |
| jus | law |
| lum | light |
| ann | year |
| apo | away or up |
| sen | old |
| sol | alone |
| bas | low |
| rogat | ask |
| parl | speak |
| potent | power |
| surg | rise |
| log | word or reason |
| gram | writing |
| cant | sing |
| reg | rule |
| pro | forward |
| gyn | woman |
| ag | to do |
| act | to do |
| mob | move |
| sess | sit |
| fic | make |
| nounce | tell |
| andro | man |
| an- | without |
| ab | away |
| mel | song |
| aden | gland |
| aer | air |
| alb | white |
| ase | enzyme |
| epi | on |
| hum | earth |
| -be | life |
| bon | good |
| struct | build |
| chlor | green |
| cyan | blue |
| cyt | cell |
| diplo | double |
| dys | bad |
| eco | house |
| emia | blood |
| enter | intestine |
| erythro | red |
| idio | peculiar |
| exo | out |
| im | not |
| fil | thread |
| chrom | color |
| form | shape |
| sequ | follow |
| glyc | sweet |
| hemo | blood |
| ultima | last |
| infra | beneath |
| leuko | white |
| lys | break down |
| meso | middle |
| milli | thousandth |
| mem | remember |
| gress | step |
| labor | work |
| myo | muscle |
| vac | empty |
| oligo | few or small |
| ose | sugar |
| osis | condition |
| tude | state of |
| patho | disease |
| phag | eat |
| phor | carry |
| phyt | plant |
| phyll | leaf |
| chrom | color |
| form | shape |
| sequ | follow |
| glyc | sweet |
| hemo | blood |
| ultima | last |
| infra | beneath |
| leuko | white |
| lys | break down |
| meso | middle |
| milli | thousandth |
| cyt | cell |
| erythro | red |
| idio | peculiar |
| pleo | more |
| pod | foot |
| soror | sister |
| -a | plural |
| val | worth |
| para | beside, near |
| dom | rule |
| erg | work |
| rhiz | root |
| sapro | rotten |
| schizo | divide |
| hippo | horse |
| som | body |
| spor | seed |
| rhodo | rose |
| taxis | arrangement |
| vol | will |
| frat | brother |
| trich | hair |
| troph | nourishment |
| tox | poison |
| sect | cut |
| homo | same |
| spec | look |
| duct | lead |
| fer | carry |
| pend | hang |
| micro | small |
| hydro | water |
| photo | light |
| pan | all |
| penta | five |
| tele | far |
| vid | look |
| omni | all |
| ex | out |
| poly | many |
| re | again |
| hypo | under |
| pseudo | false |
| neuro | nerve |
| tomy | cut |
| hema | blood |
| proto | first |
| phon | sound |
| mono | one |
| viv | life |
| hypo | under |
| dox | opinion |
| put | think |
| mega | large |
| alter | other |
| contra | against |
| con | together |
| circum | around |
| sol | alone |
| fy | make |
| ous | full of |
| hetero | different |
| pater | father |
| ver | true |
| sangui | blood |
| ego | I |
| ven | come |
| flu | flow |
| loqu | talk |
| moll | soft |
| greg | group |
| tion | act or state |
| hypothecate | pledge as security |
| heterodox | unorthodox |
| paterfamilias | male head of family |
| putative | thought-to-be |
| aver | affirm to declare |
| megaton | force of a million tons of dynamite |
| sangfroid | cold-blooded composure |
| alter-ego | second self |
| altercation | heated dispute |
| contravene | go against |
| confluence | a flowing together |
| circumlocution | talking in circles |
| soliloquy | speech to oneself |
| mollify | make soft |
| gregarious | sociable |
| de | down |
| voc | voice |
| luc | light |
| acr | sharp |
| ambul | walk |
| pugn | fight |
| sequ | follow |
| centri | center |
| ous | full of |
| sanct | holy |
| phon | sound |
| clam | cry out |
| trans | across |
| fort | strong |
| per | through |
| fid | faith |
| non | not |
| ego | I |
| loqu | talk |
| sacro | holy |
| caco | bad |
| tang | touch |
| declaim | speak rhetorically |
| sotto voce | in a low voice |
| translucent | semitransparent |
| forte | strong point |
| fortissimo | very loudly |
| acerbity | sharpness of temper |
| perambulate | wander through |
| perfidy | breach of faith |
| impugn | attack as false |
| non sequitur | an idea which does not follow |
| egocentric | self-centered |
| loquacious | talkative |
| sacrosanct | sacred |
| cacophony | bad noise |
| tangible | touchable |
| dict | say |
| bas | low |
| nihil | nothing |
| muta | change |
| terr | land |
| cogn | know |
| re | again |
| super | over |
| de | down |
| gram | writting |
| obit | death |
| sequ | follow |
| path | feeling |
| ism | doctrine |
| inter | between |
| in | in or not |
| sed | sit |
| tort | twist |
| anim | mind |
| epi | on |
| ob | against |
| obiter dictum | passing remark |
| obsequious | servilely following |
| abase | to lower |
| pathetic fallacy | ascribing feelings to things |
| ratiocination | methodical thinking |
| mutatis mutandis | with necessary changes |
| interstice | small space |
| terra incognita | unknown land |
| sedate | calm |
| retort | swift reply |
| nihilism | belief in nothing |
| supersede | replace |
| inanimate | lifeless |
| condescend | lower oneself |
| epigram | witty comment |
| anthropo | man |
| gastro | stomach |
| auto | self |
| contra | against |
| viv | life |
| helio | sun |
| culp | blame |
| spec | look |
| mono | one |
| centri | center |
| medi | middle |
| ambi | both |
| ism | doctrine |
| trans | across |
| ex | out |
| intro | into |
| trop | turn |
| lykos | wolf |
| anthropocentric | man-centered |
| gastronome | a gourmet or epicure |
| autodidact | self-taught person |
| monism | doctrine that reality is one |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| lycanthrope | werewolf |
| circumambient | surroundings |
| transmogrify | change form |
| reify | treat as real |
| au contraire | to the contrary |
| vivacious | lively |
| circumvent | get around |
| heliotropic | sun-following |
| exculpate | free from blame |
| introspective | inward looking |
| pre | before |
| gen | origin |
| jur | swear |
| sopor | sleep |
| ped | foot |
| lin | line |
| tomy | cut |
| tort | twist |
| ob | against |
| sesqui | one and a half |
| nec | kill |
| post | after |
| son | sound |
| demo | people |
| inter | between |
| cracy | government |
| phan | apperance |
| diacho | in two parts |
| sui | self |
| partheno | virgin |
| pluto | wealth |
| a priori | from theory |
| a posteriori | from observation |
| parthenogenesis | unfertilized birth |
| assonance | vowel repetition |
| objurgation | rebuke |
| demotic | of the common people |
| soporific | sleep-inducing |
| internecine | mutually destructive |
| sesquipedalian | very long(words) |
| sui generis | unique |
| plutocracy | government of wealthy |
| delineate | to outline |
| dichotomy | two-part division |
| epiphany | revelation |
| tortuous | twisting |
| thanatos | death |
| opia | sight |
| vac | empty |
| luc | light |
| sed | sit |
| fug | flee |
| pusill | small |
| nepo | nephew |
| viv | life |
| spir | breathe |
| syn | together |
| man | hand |
| ex | out |
| ism | system |
| sub | under |
| ine | nature of |
| anim | mind |
| bon | good |
| ous | full of |
| thanatopsis | view of death |
| vacuous | stupidly empty of ideas |
| lucubration | late studying |
| ex cathedra | from the throne |
| legerdemain | sleight of hand |
| suspiration | deep sigh |
| nepotism | favorism to relatives |
| synoptic | general in view |
| lionize | treat as a celebrity |
| assiduous | persevering |
| subterfuge | evasive dodge |
| bon vivant | indulger in luxury |
| saturnine | gloomy and remote |
| sedentary | sitting |
| pusillanimous | small-minded |
| ize | make |
| log | reason |
| phor | carry |
| loco | place |
| de | down |
| phobia | fear |
| schizo | divide |
| theo | good |
| curs | run |
| eu | good |
| funi | cord |
| nym | name |
| ize | make |
| re | again |
| ambul | walk |
| ideo | idea |
| apo | up |
| pre | before |
| cosmo | universe |
| phon | sound |
| meta | change |
| syllogism | three-part deduction |
| metonymy | association name |
| anaphora | repetition in successive phrases |
| bowdlerize | censor prudishly |
| locus classicus | classical example |
| reiterate | repeat |
| desultory | rambling |
| funambulist | tightrope walker |
| lyssophobia | fear of insanity |
| idee fixe | obsession |
| schism | division |
| precursor | forerunner |
| cosmology | study of the universe |
| euphony | beautiful sound |
| apotheosis | raising to god status |
| pro | forward |
| patr | father |
| cred | believe |
| ous | full of |
| miss | send |
| viv | life |
| sanct | holy |
| syn | together |
| co | together |
| in | in |
| apo | away |
| ism | doctrine |
| mis | bad |
| gno | know |
| loco | place |
| sta | stand |
| phys | nature |
| terr | land |
| opia | sight |
| loqu | talk |
| hedon | pleasure |
| liqu | flow |
| prolix | tediously wordy |
| narcissism | self-infatuation |
| miscreant | evil unbeliever |
| physiognomy | facial character |
| patrician | aristocratic |
| apostasy | desertion of principle |
| hedonism | devotion of pleasure |
| sententious | full of maxims |
| on the qui vive | on the alert |
| manumission | release from slavery |
| sanction | authorize |
| terra firma | firm land |
| synopsis | summary |
| colloquy | conversation |
| in loco parentis | in place of the parents |
| morph | shape |
| vest | clothes |
| bene | good |
| pond | weight |
| corp | body |
| dorm | sleep |
| pater | father |
| nov | new |
| punct | point |
| ject | throw |
| tion | act or state |
| loco | place |
| dox | opinion |
| amphi | both |
| magn | great |
| eu | good |
| endo | within |
| phobia | fear |
| ortho | straight |
| put | think |
| ver | true |
| matri | mother |
| mega | large |
| pop | people |
| sanqui | blood |
| morph | shape |
| vest | clothes |
| bene | good |
| pond | weight |
| corp | body |
| dorm | sleep |
| pater | father |
| nov | new |
| punct | point |
| ject | throw |
| tion | act or state |
| loco | place |
| vale | farewell |
| proto | first |
| mal | bad |
| sacro | flesh |
| gno | know |
| ana | up |
| ex | out |
| magn | great |
| super | over |
| dict | say |
| agon | actor |
| ism | doctrine |
| phag | eat |
| sur | over |
| lect | gather |
| pos | put |
| mort | death |
| miss | send |
| valediction | farewell speech |
| protagonist | leading person |
| maladroit | clumsy |
| stoicism | indifference to sensation |
| sarcophagus | stone coffin |
| ignominious | disgraceful |
| surrealistic | unrealistically |
| analects | selected writings |
| expository | explanatory |
| exegesis | critical interpretaion |
| magnum opus | great work |
| moribund | dying |
| supercilious | scornful |
| diction | word choice |
| emissary | messenger |
| eu | good |
| mir | wonder |
| hagio | saint |
| patr | father |
| mel | honey |
| inter | between |
| ped | foot |
| bell | war |
| mal | bad |
| xeno | stranger |
| thanatos | death |
| in | not |
| graph | write |
| auto | self |
| flu | flow |
| dict | say |
| spec | look |
| anthropo | man |
| morph | shape |
| phobia | fear |
| euthanasia | mercy killing |
| ineffable | inexpressible |
| expediate | hasten |
| expatiate | to elaborate |
| hagiography | saint's biography |
| mirabile dictu | wonderful to say |
| mellifluous | honeyed |
| patronize | condescend to |
| autochthonous | native |
| inter alia | among other things |
| bellicose | warlike |
| anthropomorphic | man-shaped |
| malediction | a curse |
| xenophobia | fear of foreigners |
| specious | false |
| vita | life |
| demo | people |
| stereo | solid |
| ism | doctrine |
| cogn | know |
| sur | over |
| alter | other |
| astr | star |
| dyna | power |
| chron | time |
| hyper | over |
| luna | moon |
| octa | eight |
| gyro | turn |
| contra | against |
| geo | earth |
| helio | sun |
| thermo | heat |
| tetra | four |
| meter | measure |
| scope | look |
| son | sound |
| dec | ten |
| stell | star |
| amat | love |
| gyro | turn |
| contra | against |
| helio | sun |
| thermo | heat |
| tetra | four |
| meter | measure |
| scope | look |
| son | sound |
| dec | ten |
| stell | star |
| amat | love |
| ante | before |
| anti | against |
| bi | two |
| circum | around |
| com | together |
| con | together |
| de | down |
| equi | equal |
| extra | beyond |
| inter | between |
| intra | within |
| mal | bad |
| un | not |
| melancholy | sadness or depression; gloom |
| epic | a long, narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero |
| antagonist | the character who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character in a story; drives the plot forward |
| epithet | a descriptive phrase that renames a character |
| somber | solemn; grave |
| malevolent | evil |
| benevolent | charitable, kind, helpful |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | comparison that doesn't use like or as |
| placid | calm; relaxed |
| hyperbole | extreme exaggeration |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents his culture; goes on a journey or quest |
| detached | not emotionally connected |
| tone | the author's attitude toward the subject of the work |
| mood | the way a work of literature makes the reader feel |
| archetype | a journey, wise old man, damsel in distress |
| allusion | a reference to something outside the work |
| alliteration | Great grey gorillas graze on grapes. |
| assonance | fleet feet sweep by sleeping Greeks |
| consonance | The happy puppy's tail thumped. |
| theme | an idea repeated throughout a work of literature |
| lyric | a short poem, usually has a single speaker and is about an emotion or image |
| narrative | poem that tells a story |
| ballad | a song about someone from the past; often set to music |
| germ | vital or related |
| greg | group |
| mar | sea |
| prim | first |
| pyro | fire |
| clam | cry out |
| plu | more |
| tang | touch |
| string | bind |
| liber | free |
| junct | join |
| clud | close |
| se | apart |
| trib | pay |
| dign | worthy |
| luc | light |
| rupt | break |
| grat | pleasing |
| medi | middle |
| soph | wisdom |
| curr | run |
| tempor | time |
| migr | wander |
| trans | across |
| gamy | marriage |
| clud | close |
| se | apart |
| trib | pay |
| dign | worthy |
| luc | light |
| rupt | break |
| grat | pleasing |
| LUC - LUCIDITY | THE __IDITY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS MAKES THEM EASY TO FOLLOW. |
| SE - SECEDE | THE SOUTH DECIDED TO __CEDE FROM THE UNION. |
| GRAT - GRATUITY | THE DINERS LEFT THE WAITER A LARGE __UITY BECAUSE THEY APPRECIATED HIS HARD WORK. |
| CLARITY | A PERSON SHOULD NEVER MAKE DECISIONS WHEN CONFUSED. _____ OF THOUGHT IS NECESSARY. |
| CLUD - CONCLUDE | FROM THE EVIDENCE, SHERLOCK HOLMES WAS ABLE TO CON___E THAT BOB WAS GUILTY. |
| HISTORICAL FICTION | DUMAS' <I>THE THREE MUSKETEERS</I>, PHILIPPA GREGORY'S <I>THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL</I>, A NOVEL SET DURING THE CIVIL WAR |
| COHESIVE | THE TEAM HAS TO WORK TOGETHER AS A __ UNIT IF THEY ARE GOING TO WIN. |
| BALLAD | A POEM ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST; OFTEN SET TO MUSIC. (CLICK PLAY AUDIO FOR A HINT.) |
| se | The South __ceded from the Union. |
| trib | The town built a park in ___ute to its founders. |
| rupt | The man used to be a millionaire, but he is now bank____ and living in a homeless shelter. |
| nostalgic | Mom always gets ____ when she looks at pictures of our old house. She wishes we could move back. |
| repetition | 36. the repeating of a word or phrase throughout a piece of writing |
| assonance | how now brown cow |
| alliteration | Tiny Tim took two. |
| quatrain | a four-line stanza |
| Ex. glass, ghosts | Name something that is translucent. |
| cliche | overused word or phrase |
| cliche, simile, alliteration | She's as busy as a bee. |
| stereotype | "All blondes are dumb" is an example of a |
| melancholy | Bob always looks ___; he's just so sad. |
| benevolent | kind; charitable |
| numer | number |
| fort | strong |
| osteo | bone |
| ornith | bird |
| polis | city |
| fus | pour |
| ego | I |
| spir | breathe |
| dia | across |
| acr | sharp |
| acro | high |
| culp | blame |
| derm | skin |
| zo | animal |
| per | thought |
| pac | peace |
| brev | short |
| necro | death |
| urb | city |
| pugn | fight |
| ecto | outer |
| plasto | molded |
| agog | leader |
| cle | small |
| il | not |
| sed | sit |
| leg | read |
| anim | mind |
| tort | twist |
| nym | name |
| sanct | holy |
| meta | change |
| petr | rock |
| mir | wonder |
| man | hand |
| rect | right |
| volv | roll |
| demi | half |
| retro | backward |
| sens | feel |
| fy | make |
| ocul | eye |
| cur | care for |
| ultra | beyond |
| oid | apperance |
| gest | carry |
| apt | fit |
| tact | touch |
| voc | voice |
| rid | laugh |
| sed | sit |
| leg | read |
| anim | mind |
| tort | twist |
| nym | name |
| sanct | holy |
| meta | change |
| petr | rock |
| mir | wonder |
| man | hand |
| rect | right |
| volv | roll |
| demi | half |
| retro | backward |
| sens | feel |
| fy | make |
| ocul | eye |
| cur | care for |
| ultra | beyond |
| oid | apperance |
| gest | carry |
| apt | fit |
| tact | touch |
| voc | voice |
| rid | laugh |
| path | feeling |
| a | not |
| nomy | law |
| fid | faith |
| caco | bad |
| hetero | different |
| sci | know |
| graph | write |
| lat | side |
| lith | rock |
| tract | pull |
| in | in or not |
| co | together |
| phile | love |
| ine | nature of |
| -ar | relating to |
| hexa | six |
| fract | break |
| platy | flat |
| theo | god |
| fin | end |
| hedron | sided object |
| ambul | walk |
| ous | full of |
| topo | place |
| path | feeling |
| a | not |
| nomy | law |
| fid | faith |
| caco | bad |
| hetero | different |
| sci | know |
| graph | write |
| lat | side |
| lith | rock |
| tract | pull |
| in | in or not |
| co | together |
| phile | love |
| ine | nature of |
| -ar | relating to |
| hexa | six |
| fract | break |
| platy | flat |
| theo | god |
| fin | end |
| hedron | sided object |
| ambul | walk |
| ous | full of |
| topo | place |
| alliteration | repetition of the first letters of words |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| personification | giving human qualities to something that is not |
| metaphor | comparison with a hidden meaning |
| simile | comparison using "like" or "as" |
| symbolism | a word,thing or picture that represents something else |
| foreshadowing | clues in a story about what will happen later |
| irony | meaning one thing but saying the opposite |
| onomatopeia | a word that imitates the sound |
| paradox | a statement that has a conflicting meaning |
| sarcasm | a hurtful remark |
| satire | use of irony to mock a custom, habit or idea that seems silly |
| oxymoron | a statement that contains contradictory terms |
| analogy | comparing two things |
| allegory | a story that is intended to teach a lesson |
| character | a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| main character | the most important character in the story |
| antagonist | a character or force in conflict with a main character; often the "bad guy" |
| protagonist | the main character in a literary work; often the "good guy" |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character; what the author writes to develop a character's personality |
| conflict | a struggle between opposing forces |
| internal conflict | a conflict that takes place WITHIN THE MIND of a character |
| internal conflict example | Individual vs. self |
| external conflict | conflict that occurs when a character struggles against some OUTSIDE FORCE |
| external conflict examples | Individual vs. Individual; Individual vs. Nature; Individual vs. Society; Individual vs. Fate (supernatural); Individual vs. Technology |
| setting | the time and place of the action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a story |
| plot steps | 1)Exposition, 2)Initial Event, 3)Rising Action, 4)Climax, 5)Falling Action, 6)Resolution |
| exposition | introduces setting, characters, and the basic situation |
| initial event | problem is introduced |
| rising action | events leading to the climax |
| climax | high point of interest or suspense; when things come to a 'head' |
| falling action | events after the climax leading to the resolution |
| resolution | solution to the problem & ending of the story |
| theme | a central message, concern, or purpose in a literary work |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| suspense | a feeling of anxious uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work |
| surprise ending | a conclusion that is unexpected |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story, may be first person or third person |
| irony | the general name given to literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting, or amusing CONTRADICTIONS |
| moral | a lesson taught by a literary work |
| motivation | a reason that explains or partially explains a character's thoughts, feelings, actions, or speech |
| point of view (POV) | the perspective from which a story is told |
| First Person POV | told by the narrator who is a character in the story |
| Third Person POV | told by someone who is NOT a character in the story |
| flashback | a section of a literary work that interrupts the sequence of events to relate an event that occurred at an earlier time |
| foreshadow | the use of clues that suggest/hint at events that have yet to occur |
| dialect | the form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or group; example: "Y'all" used in the South US & "Youse guys" used in New York/New Jersey to mean "everyone here" |
| dialogue | a conversation between characters; signalled by quotation marks in a written story |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| ANTITHESIS | "To be or not to be..." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SYNECDOCHE (METONYMY) | "He asked for the 'blue plate special.'" |
| UNDERSTATEMENT (LITOTES) | "I could probably manage to survive ona salary of 2 million dollars a year." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of syllables as in Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| central conflict | the main struggle or problem in the plot of a poem, story or play |
| character | a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating or describing a character, by showing what they say, do and think, showing what other characters say about them, and by showing what physical features, dress and personality they display |
| climax | the point of highest interest and suspense in a literary work. It sometimes signals the turning point of the action in a story or play |
| coming-of-age story | a tale in which a young person makes a discovery about himself or herself or about the world. It also allows different generations to learn about each other |
| concrete poem | a poem with a shape that suggests its subject |
| dialogue | conversation involving two or more people or characters |
| epic | a long story., often told in verse, that tells of a culture's heroes and gods |
| external conflict | a struggle that takes place between a character and something outside that character such as another character, society or nature |
| first person | narrator (person telling the story) takes part in the action and refers to himself or herself using words such as I and we |
| foreshadowing | the act of hinting at events that will happen later in a literary work |
| image | language that creates a concrete representation of an object or an experience |
| imagery | the images in a poem or passage considered all together |
| inciting incident | the event that introduces the central conflict or struggle, in a poem, story, or play |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place inside the mind of the character |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| motif | anything that appears repeatedly in one or more of literature, art, or music |
| motive | a reason for acting in a certain way |
| motivation | a force that moves a character to think, feel, or behave in a certain way |
| myth | a story that explains the beginning of things or events in the natural world. These objects are explained as being caused by some supernatural force or being, often a god. |
| narrative poem | a verse that tells a story |
| novella | a work of fiction shorter than a novel but longer that a short story |
| one-dimensional character | flat character who reveals only one quality or character trait |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words or phrases like meow or beep that sound like what they name |
| personification | a figure of speech in which something not human is described as if it were human |
| repetition | more than one use of a sound, word, or group of words |
| resolution | the point in a poem, story, or play at which the central conflict or struggle ends |
| rhythm | the pattern of beats in a line poetry or prose |
| sensory details | words or phrases that describe how things look, sound, smell, taste or feel |
| setting | the time and place in which a literary work happens |
| simile | a comparison using like or as |
| stress | the amount of emphasis given to a syllable |
| symbol | a thing that stands for or represents both itself and something else |
| theme | a central idea in a literary work |
| third person point of view | in a story, when the narrator does not take part in the action and tells the story using words such as he and she and avoiding the use of I and we |
| allusion | reference to a person, literary work, or work of art |
| character | person or animal that takes part in a literary work |
| dynamic | a character who changes |
| static | a character who does not change |
| dialogue | conversation of two |
| monologue | conversation |
| soliloquy | long speech by a character who is alone |
| plot | sequence of events |
| exposition | background;intro of characters |
| climax | point of highest interest or suspense |
| resolution | outcome, result |
| flashback | interruption of action to go to past |
| irony | a contradiction;strange twist |
| dramatic irony | contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows |
| symbol | an object that has extended meaning |
| shock of recognition | seeing yourself in a situation or a character |
| theme | central message, purpose, or concern of a literary work |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| plot | the story line |
| setting | time and place in a story |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| style | writers way of writing |
| point of view | perspective from which the story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) |
| symbolism | uses something to represent something else |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| satire | writing that ridicules or criticizes individuals, ideas, social convention |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work to make the writing stronger |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| rhyme scheme | the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| proper noun | Harry Potter |
| adjective | scary |
| adverb | suddenly |
| common noun | homework |
| helping verb | would |
| pronoun | it |
| proper adjective | Australian |
| action verb | leap |
| preposition | in |
| conjunction | and |
| interjection | wow |
| article/adjective | the |
| noun | a person, place, thing, or idea |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun |
| adjective | word that modifies a noun or pronoun |
| adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb |
| interjection | a word that is used to express emotion; set apart from the sentence by a comma or an exclamation point |
| conjunction | a word used to join words or groups of words |
| action verb | a word that expresses physical or mental action |
| linking verb | a word that helps to make a statement; connects subject to the predicat |
| helping verb | a word that helps express action or make a statement |
| preposition | word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word in the sentence |
| article | a,an, the; always act as adjectives |
| prepositional phrase | a group of words showing relationship; begins with a preposition and ends with the noun or pronoun most closely following (object of the preposition) |
| poetry | A kind of rhythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery |
| speaker | the narrator of a poem; not to be confused with the poet |
| imagery | language that appeals to the senses |
| figure of speech | A word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another (ex: similes and metaphors) |
| simile | A comparison between two unlike things using like, than, or as |
| metaphor | a comparison between two unlike things that does not use a comparative word |
| personification | a metaphor in which a nonhuman thing is talked about as if it were human |
| rhythm | a musical quality produced by repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables |
| meter | a rhythm pattern |
| rhyme | The repetition of accented sounds close together in a poem |
| end rhyme | rhyming words found at the end of different poetic lines |
| internal rhyme | rhyming words found within the same poetic line |
| rhyme scheme | The pattern of end rhymes found in a poem |
| slant (approximate) rhyme | Two words that are alike in sound but that don't rhyme exactly |
| alliteration | The repetition of the same consonant sounds close together in a poem |
| assonance | The repetition of the same vowel sounds close together in a poem |
| onomatopoeia | The use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning |
| blank verse | poetry written with a definite rhythm pattern but no rhyme pattern |
| free verse | poetry that has no meter (rhythm pattern) and no rhyme pattern |
| narrative poem | A poem that tells a story |
| simile | "He is as strong as an ox" is an example of which term? |
| metaphor | "She is my sunshine" is an example of which term? |
| internal rhyme | "I'm having a time thinking of a rhyme" is an example of which rhyming pattern? |
| alliteration | "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is an example of which term? |
| onomatopoeia | Snap, crackle and pop are examples of which term? |
| personification | "The tree cradled the nest in its arms" is an example of which literary term? |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning |
| denotation | the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word |
| figurative language | language enriched by word images and figures of speech |
| literary devices | rhetorical elements used to create a desired mood ortone in a piece of writing |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison |
| mood | emotional state expressed in a literary work |
| personification | metaphorical figure of speech in which the a nunhuman is given human qualities |
| simile | a comparison of two dissimilar things, using comparison words |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which the sound of a word reflects its sense or meaning |
| style | an author's distinctive manner of using language that suits his or her ideas and purpose in wriitng |
| symbol | a word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else |
| symbolism | the use of a concrete image to express an emotion or an abstract idea |
| theme | a main idea or central idea that may be stated directly or indirectly |
| tone | the reflections of an author's attitude toward the topic and the audience as suggested by his or her word choices and stylistic effors |
| voice | the expression of an author's self or identity as relected in sentence construction or word choices |
| assonance | the repetition of a vowel sound in words |
| consonance | the repetition of final consonant sounds |
| alliteration | the repetition of the beginning sounds of two or more neighboring words |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which subject exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect |
| synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; the specific for the general, or vice versa; or the material for the thing made from it |
| aberration (noun) | off the right path |
| abstinence (noun) | giving up pleasures |
| abstract (adj) | theoretical |
| abstract (noun) | summary |
| acclaim (noun) | approval |
| acquesce (verb) | to accept, to consent by keeping silent |
| admonish (verb) | to advise against |
| advocate (verb) | to support, in favor of |
| advocate (noun) | a person who supports a particular cause |
| aesthetic (adj) | showing appreciation of beauty in nature |
| affinity (noun) | natural attraction of a person or thing |
| aggrandizement (noun) | an increase in rank, growth in power |
| alienate (verb) | to turn away, to estrange |
| alleviate (verb) | to make easier to endure, to diminish |
| aloof (adj) | indirrerent, not interested, apart |
| altruistic (adj) | thoughtful of the welfare of others |
| ambiguous (adj) | more than one intrepretation, not clearly defined |
| ambivalence (noun) | condition of having conflicting attitudes |
| ameliorate (verb) | to make better, to improve |
| analogous (adj) | similar in certain qualities, comparable |
| animosity(noun) | active dislike, ill will |
| anonymity (noun) | condition of being nameless or unknown |
| antagonism (noun) | hostility, active opposition |
| antithesis (noun) | direct opposite |
| apochryphal (adj) | of doubtful authenticity |
| arduous (adj) | hard to do |
| articulate (adj) | able to put one thoughts into words |
| assuage (verb) | to calm or soothe, to satisfy |
| atrophy (verb) | to waste away |
| augment (verb) | to increase, to get bigger |
| austere (adj) | stern in manners, strict in morals |
| authoritarian (noun or adj) | a person who supports the principal of subject to authority instead of individual freedom |
| brevity (noun) | briefness or conciseness in speech or writing |
| concise (adj) | using a few words in speech or writing |
| laconic (adj) | using a few words in speech or writing |
| pithy (adj) | brief and full of meaning and substance |
| quiescent (adj) | quiet, still, inactive |
| reticent (adj) | not talking much, reserved |
| succinct (adj) | clearly and briefly stated |
| taciturn (adj) | silent, sparing of words, closemouthed |
| terse (adj) | using only words needed to make the point |
| bombastic (adj) | using language in a pompous, showy way, speaking to impress others |
| circumlocution (noun) | speaking in circles, roundabout speech |
| colloquial (adj) | pertaining to common everyday speech |
| diffuse (adj) | spread out, not concise, wordy |
| digress (verb) | to wander off the subject |
| eloquence (noun) | artful ease with speaking, speech that cna influence people's feelings |
| garrulous (adj) | talkative, loquacious |
| grandiloquent (adj) | using big and fnacy words when speaking for the purpose of impressing others |
| loquacious (adj) | very talkatie liking to talk, garrulous |
| prattle (verb) | to speak on and on in a senseless and silly manner |
| ramble (verb) | to talk on and on pointlessly, without clear direction |
| rant (verb) | to talk very loudly, even wildly, rave |
| rhetorical (adj) | relating to speech that is used to persuade or have some effect, insincere in expression |
| verbose (adj) | using too many words, wordy, long-winded |
| voluble (adj) | talking a great deal with ease; glib |
| arrogant (adj) | overbearing, proud, haughty |
| braggart (noun) | one who boasts a great deal |
| complacent (adj) | self-satisfied, smug |
| contemptuous (adj) | laking respect; scornful |
| discainful (adj) | full of bitter scorn and pride; aloof |
| egotistical (adj) | excessively self absorbed, very conceited |
| haughty (adj) | having great pride in oneself and dislike for others |
| insolent (adj) | boldly disrepectful in speech or behavior; rude |
| narcissistic (adj) | having to do with extreme self-adoration and a feeling of superiority to everyone |
| ostentatious (adj) | having to do with showing off; pretentious |
| presumptuous (adj) | too forward or bold, oversteping proper bounds |
| pretentious (adj) | claiming or pretending increased importance, affectedly grand |
| supercillious (adj) | looking down on others, proud and scornful |
| swagger (verb) | to walk around in a proud, showy manner, to boast in a loud manner |
| autonomy (noun) | independence, self-government |
| aversion (noun) | Strong dislike, antipathy |
| belittle (verb) | to make something seem less important |
| bequeath (verb) | to leave money or property by a will, to pass along |
| bizarre (adj) | odd in appreance, grotesque |
| blithe (adj) | happy and cheerful, gay |
| bombastic (adj) | high sounding, marked by use of language without much real meaning |
| buffoon (noun) | clown, someone who amuses with tricks and jokes |
| cache (noun) | hiding place, something hidden in a hiding place |
| cacophony (noun) | discord; harsh sound |
| cajole (verb) | to persuade by pleasant words or false promises |
| callous (adj) | unfeeling; insensitive |
| capitulate (verb) | to surrender, to cease resisting |
| capricious (adj) | changeable, fickle |
| carping (adj) | complaining |
| catalyst (noun) | someone or something that brings about a change |
| catharsis (noun) | an emotional purification or relief |
| caustic (adj) | stinging, biting |
| celestial (adj0 | having to do with the heavens, divine |
| censure (verb) | to blame, to critize adversely |
| censure (noun) | a condemnation |
| plot | the series of related events in a story |
| exposition | the beginning of the story where we learn about setting, character, and initial conflict; also called the basic situation |
| complication | this is the part of the story where characters try to solve the conflict; this leads up to the climax and is also called the rising action |
| climax | the most intense part of the story; the reader sees how the main conflict will be resolved |
| resolution | the end of the story where loose ends are tied up; conflicts are resolved; also called the denouement |
| conflict | a struggle or clash between opposing forces |
| external conflict | a conflict between a character and another character or between a character and something non-human (man vs. a storm, man vs. a dog, man vs. God) |
| internal conflict | a conflict that happens within a character's mind |
| setting | the time, place, and mood of a story |
| suspense | the anxiety a reader feels about how the story will turn out |
| foreshadowing | a hint or clue about what will happen later in the story |
| character | a person in a story |
| theme | a main idea or underlying truth in a story |
| symbol (symbolism) | something that stands for something else (dove = peace) |
| fiction | stories based on a writer's imagination (short stories, novels) |
| short story | a short fictional story that usually takes up ten to twenty pages |
| plot | the series of related events in a story |
| exposition | the beginning of the story where we learn about setting, character, and initial conflict; also called the basic situation |
| complication | this is the part of the story where characters try to solve the conflict; this leads up to the climax and is also called the rising action |
| climax | the most intense part of the story; the reader sees how the main conflict will be resolved |
| resolution | the end of the story where loose ends are tied up; conflicts are resolved; also called the denouement |
| conflict | a struggle or clash between opposing forces |
| external conflict | a conflict between a character and another character or between a character and something non-human (man vs. a storm, man vs. a dog, man vs. God) |
| internal conflict | a conflict that happens within a character's mind |
| setting | the time, place, and mood of a story |
| suspense | the anxiety a reader feels about how the story will turn out |
| foreshadowing | a hint or clue about what will happen later in the story |
| character | a person in a story |
| characterization | the process of revealing a character (appearance, thoughts, beliefs, personality, etc.) |
| direct characterization | when the writer tells us exactly what traits a character has |
| indirect characterization | when the writer shows us a character's traits through description, action, dialogue and/or thoughts |
| dynamic characterization | a character who changes through a story |
| static character | a character who stays the same through the story |
| flat character | a character with only one or two traits |
| round character | a character with many traits, like a real person |
| theme | a main idea or underlying truth in a story |
| symbol (symbolism) | something that stands for something else (dove = peace) |
| fiction | stories based on a writer's imagination (short stories, novels) |
| short story | a short fictional story that usually takes up ten to twenty pages |
| fiction | any prose writing that tells an invented or imaginary story |
| characterization | the use of literary techniques to create a character |
| direct portrayal | characterization technique in which the writer actually describes or explains the character’s personality |
| character behavior | characterization technique in which readers discover a character’s personality by looking at the character’s actions |
| internal monologue | characterization technique in which readers discover a character’s personality through that character’s own thoughts or feelings |
| character | an individual who figures in the action of a story |
| protagonist | main character or central figure in a story |
| antagonist | character or force that works against the protagonist |
| major character | any character that has a significant role in the story |
| minor character | any character that appears in the story, but has little importance |
| one dimensional or flat character | a character that mainly exhibits a single dominant quality or Character Trait |
| three dimensional or rounded character | a character that exhibits complex traits that are more realistic |
| static character | character that does not change during the course of a story |
| dynamic character | character that changes during the course of a story |
| motivation | reasons why the character thinks and behaves in a certain way |
| theme | central idea in a literary work |
| setting | time and place in which a story occurs |
| mood | emotion created in the reader while reading the story |
| conflict | struggle between two or more forces in a literary work |
| internal conflict | struggle occurring within a character |
| external conflict | struggle that takes place between a main character and an outside force |
| plot | series of events related to the explanation and resolution of a major conflict |
| exposition | background information in a story that usually includes character introductions, the setting, and the mood |
| inciting incident | event(s) that begin the action of a story and introduces the central conflict |
| rising action | events leading up to the climax. The rising action usually includes complications, additional conflicts, and an increasing emotional intensity in the story. |
| climax | The moment of highest emotional intensity that serves as a turning point in the story. The climax is also known as a crisis. |
| falling action | events after the climax that lead to the resolution |
| resolution | event that ends the central conflict in a story |
| denouement | Information that wraps up loose ends in a story. Sometimes, the denouement is included in the resolution. |
| irony | any difference between appearance and reality |
| verbal irony | occurs when there is a difference between what is said and what is meant |
| irony of situation | occurs when events in a story lead to unexpected results |
| dramatic irony | occurs when the reader/audience knows information that the character does not |
| suspension of disbelief | using imagination to accept information in a literary work that is unrealistic or impossible |
| hyperbole | exaggeration for effect or to make a point |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| foreshadowing | occurs when a writer gives clues to later events in a story |
| -able (unbelievable) | adj. "able to" |
| -acious (spacious) | adj. "full of" |
| -al (rental) | adj. "relating to" |
| -ic (heroic) | adj. "like" |
| -ical (economical) | adj. "pertaining to" |
| -ive (descriptive) | adj. "pertaining to" |
| -ant (triumphant) | adj. "relating to" |
| -ful (wonderful) | adj. "full of" |
| -ible (convertible) | adj. "able to" |
| -ish (stylish) | adj "relating to" |
| -less (senseless) | adj. "without" |
| -like (lifelike) | adj. "like" |
| -most (topmost) | adj. "at the extreme" |
| -ous (furious) | adj. "full of" |
| -ular (cellular) | adj. "pertaining to" |
| -ate (activate) | verb "to make" |
| -en (lengthen) | verb "to become" |
| -fy (simplify) | verb "to make" |
| -ize (crystalize) | verb "to become" |
| -ly (quickly) | adv. "manner" |
| -ward (skyward) | adv. "toward" |
| -wise (clockwise) | adv. "like" |
| -ant (commandant) | noun "one who does something" |
| -eer, -ier (auctioneer) | noun "one who does something" |
| -er, -or (counselor) | noun "one who does something" |
| -ist (theorist) | noun "one who does something" |
| -ician (statistician) | noun "one who does something" |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Simile | creation of an image with like or as |
| Apostrophe | direct address of person or thing |
| Alliteration | repetition of consonants |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Climax | high point |
| Puns | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| Oxymoron | a linking of an adjective and noun which contradict each other |
| Paradox | a contradictory situation |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| allusion | "My boyfriend dances like King Kong." |
| paradox | "A little learning is a dangerous thing." |
| apostrophe | "Goodbye, cruel world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| parallelism | "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer,/ When the proofs, the figures were ranged before me." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ALLUSION | "He met his Nemesis." |
| APOSTROPHE | "Ah, Muse! Inspire this poor blind poet to glory..." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| VERBAL IRONY | As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, "Look at that coordination!" |
| SITUATIONAL IRONY | The cobbler's children go barefoot because they have no shoes. |
| DRAMATIC IRONY | Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is cursing himself. |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SARCASM | "It's easy to quit smoking--I've done it many times." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| simile | A comparison between two distinctly different things, using the word "like" or "as" |
| personification | A figure of speech where animals, ideas or objects are given human characteristics |
| fiction | A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| dialogue | Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative |
| science fiction | Fiction that deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals; many of the events recounted are within the realm of future possibility |
| fantasy | Imaginative fiction featuring esp. strange settings and grotesque characters; things happen that can not happen in real life |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| point of view | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| autobiography | The angle or perspective from which a story is told |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| plot | The events or main story in a literary work |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| foreshadowing | The introduction of clues early in a story to suggest or anticipate significant events that will develop later |
| resolution | The last part of the story when the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends |
| characters | The people or animals in a work of fiction or drama |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| setting | The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place |
| dialect | The way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people |
| nonfiction | Writing that deals with real people, things, events, or places |
| Personification | giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | making a direct comparison |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| Theme | the main idea in a work of literature |
| Symbolism | when something concrete represents an abstract idea |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| plot | the structure of a story |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| autobiography | form on nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines |
| character | a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| characterization | the act of creating and developing a character |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, and how other characters react to him |
| round character | shows many different traits--faults as well as virtues |
| flat character | we see only one side of a character |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| climax | the high point of interest or supsense in a story, novel, or play |
| conflict | a sturggle between opposing forces |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| connotation | the set of ideas associeated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| denotation | a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have |
| dialcect | from of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| dialogue | a conversaation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| dramatic poetry | poetry that utilizes the techniques of drama |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| epic simile (Homeric simile) | an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects |
| essay | a short nongiction work about a particular subject |
| exposition | the part of the work that introduces the cahracters, the setting, and the basic situation |
| fantasy | a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life |
| fiction | prose writing that tells about imagninary charactes and events |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| foreshadowing | the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter |
| genre | category or type of literature |
| haiku | a three-line verse form. 5-7-5 syllables |
| image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses |
| imagery | the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader |
| verbal irony | words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant |
| dramatic irony | there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true |
| irony of situation | an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters |
| lyric poem | a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| meter | a poem's rhythmical patter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| mood | the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage |
| motivation | a reason that explains or partially explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena |
| narration | writing that tells a story |
| narrative | a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story |
| narrator | a speaker or character who tells a story |
| nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events |
| novel | a long work of fiction |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics |
| persuasion | writing or speech that attempts to convice the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work |
| poetry | one of the three major types of literature, the others being prose and drama |
| prose | the ordinary form of written language |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem made up of four lines, usually with a definite rhythm and rhyme scheme |
| repetition | the use of any element of language--a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence--more than once |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the ends of words |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
| rhythm | the patter of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language |
| science fiction | writing that tells about imagninary events that involve science or technology |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| short story | a brief work of fiction |
| simile | a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| tragedy | a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character |
| avid | having a very strong desire for |
| brusque | abrupt in manner or speech; gruff |
| demean | to cause a lowering of self-esteem; to lower in reputation or character |
| despicable | deserving contempt or scorn |
| emulate | to try to equal or imitate |
| evoke | to call forth or produce |
| excruciating | very painful |
| inaugurate | to install into office by formal ceremony; to mark the opening of |
| pervade | to spread throughout |
| proprietor | owner of a store or other business |
| pseudonym | fictitious name used by an author; pen name |
| rebuff | to bluntly reject |
| resilient | capable of recovering quickly from misfortune; ability to "bounce back" |
| turbulent | chaotic; unruly; stormy; tempestuous |
| repulsive | disgusting |
| audacious | bold |
| prevalent | widespread |
| ominous | threatening |
| supersede | take the place of |
| indefatigable | not easily fatigued |
| loquacity | talkativeness |
| incorrigible | beyond correction or reform |
| ocular | pertaining to the eye |
| demagogue | an unprincipled popular leader or orator; one who stirs up the masses--a rabble-rouser |
| naive | unsophisticated |
| affluence | abundant supply; wealth |
| retrospect | the act of looking backward; contemplation of the past |
| gourmet | connoisseur of fine food |
| simulate | pretend; imitate |
| magnanimous | generous; noble |
| clandestine | secret; covert; furtive |
| placate | pacify; conciliate |
| vacillate | waver back and forth in opinion or determination |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| metaphor | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| SOLILOQUY | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM WRITTEN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| PLOT | THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN A STORY |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| CONSONANCE | THE CAT ATE THE RAT ON THE PLATE. |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Puns | play on words |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| POINT OF VIEW | THE PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH A STORY IS TOLD |
| FIRST PERSON | CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRONOUN "I" |
| THIRD PERSON | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STROY WHO KNOES THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| OMNISCIENT | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| poetic justice | when the character gets what he deserves |
| abort | to give up on a half-finished project |
| mystery | a story that involves the reader in guessing who committed the crime or deed |
| refrain | a line or group of lines repeated in a poem |
| acclaim | high praise |
| adorn | to decorate |
| aptitude | an inherent ability, as for learning; a talent |
| inclement | stormy; unmerciful |
| arbitrary | determined by chance or impulse and not by necessity, reason, or principle |
| frugal | marked by economy, as in the expediture of money or the use of material resources |
| negligence | failure to exercise the degree of care considered reasonable under the circumstances |
| second person | POV that uses "you" and is rarely seen |
| end rhyme | rhyming words at the ends of 2 or more lines of poetry |
| couplet | two consecutive lines that rhyme |
| acclaim | Bob's artwork received ___ when the gallery decided to host an art show for him. |
| adorn | Shed __(ed) with lots of gold jewelry. |
| abort | The terrible rain cause us to __ our camping trip. |
| aptitude | Bob has a natural __ for painting. I wish I had his talent. |
| arbitrary | Sally knew that choosing her new assistant could not be an __ decision. She has to consider many factors. |
| frugal | Bob's mom is very ___. She reuses freezer bags and other items. |
| inclement | The students were disappointed when they did not miss school due to __ weather. |
| nonfiction | stories about real people, places, and events; true stories |
| autobiography | an author's account of his own life |
| parallelism | Example: I want to go hiking, swimming, and climbing. |
| may vary | Give an example of metaphor. |
| may vary | Give an example of personification |
| may vary | Give an example of simile. |
| may vary | Give an example of oxymoron. |
| To act is to be something you are not; to be natural is to be yourself. | Why is "act naturally" an oxymoron? |
| may vary | Give an example of epithet |
| mary vary | Give an example of paradox. |
| may vary | Give an example of alliteration. |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | 24. displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| metaphor | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| climax | The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action; the most emotional or suspenseful moment in story |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| SOLILOQUY | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| ASIDE | WHEN A CHARACTER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE AND NOT TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | INSTRUCTIONS FOR STAGING A PLAY |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| DRAMA | LITERATURE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ON STAGE |
| TRAGEDY | A PLAY IN WHICH THE MAIN CHARACTER SUFFERS A DOWNFALL |
| TRAGIC HERO | THE MAIN CHARACTER IN A TRAGEDY; HE SUFFERS A DOWNFALL DUE TO A FATAL OR TRAGIC FLAW |
| TRAGIC FLAW | THE FLAW THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF THE MAIN CHARACTER |
| CHORUS | A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COME ONSTAGE TO SUMMARIZE WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN |
| BENEVOLENT | CHARACTERIZED BY CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| MALEVOLENT | HAVING OR EXHIBITING ILL WILL; WISHING TO HARM OTHERS; MALICIOUS |
| SARCASTIC | CONTEMPTUOUS OR IRONIC IN MANNER OR WIT; NASTY OR MOCKING IN SPEECH |
| FLIPPANT | MARKED BY DISRESPECTFUL LEVITY OR CASUALNESS; IRREVERENT |
| IMPARTIAL | UNPREJUDICED; UNBIASED |
| APOTHECARY | SOMEONE WHO PREPARES AND SELLS MEDICINES |
| SHRIFT | CONFESSION TO A PRIEST |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM WRITTEN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| IAMBIC PENTAMETER | LINES OF POETRY CONSISTING OF FIVE IAMBIC FEET; THERE WILL BE TEN SYLLABLES PER LINE |
| soliloquy | speech a character gives alone on stage |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| foreshadowing | technique of hinting about events to come |
| aside | line not meant to be heard by other characters |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| epic | a long story., often told in verse, that tells of a culture's heroes and gods |
| external conflict | a struggle that takes place between a character and something outside that character such as another character, society or nature |
| foreshadowing | the act of hinting at events that will happen later in a literary work |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place inside the mind of the character |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | 24. displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| antagonist | the person who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE MELANCHOLY GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| FICKLE | THE ___ BOY BROKE UP WITH JENNY BECAUSE HE SAW TINA AND FELL IN LOVE. |
| SHRIFT | I MUST GO TO ___ IN ORDER TO CONFESS MY SINS. |
| SARCASTIC | BOB WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ___ TO HIS MOTHER. |
| MALEVOLENT | THE ___ SPIRITS THREATENED US. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ LADY DONATED MONEY TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. |
| APOTHECARY | THE ___ MADE MEDICINE FOR THE PATIENT. |
| GRAVE | SOMBER OR SOLEMN; DANGEROUS |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| EMPATHETIC | EXHIBITIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS FEELINGS |
| SERENE | CALM AND UNRUFFLED |
| TAUNTING | JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CHERISH | TO HOLD DEAR |
| RESOLUTION | WHEN ALL THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP |
| FALLING ACTION | EVENTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE CLIMAX |
| CLIMAX | POINT OF NO RETURN; POINT OF MOST INTENSE INTEREST |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CLIMAX |
| NARRATIVE HOOK | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT GRABS THE READER'S ATTENTION |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS THE BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| PLOT | THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN A STORY |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE PROSE FICTION |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | THE CAT ATE THE RAT ON THE PLATE. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE MELANCHOLY GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| theme | central message of a work |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Puns | play on words |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | LACKING SERIOUS INTENT; NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SHOWING OR EXPRESSING CONTEMPT OR DISDAIN |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING |
| ADVERSARY | A FOE, AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAIN A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| CYNICAL | PESSIMISTIC; SKEPTICAL |
| APATHETIC | INDIFFERENT; UNCONCERNED |
| DEFIANT | DISOBEDIENT |
| WITTY | FUNNY AND CLEVER |
| DIPLOMATIC | TACTFUL; SKILL IN DEALING WITH OTHERS |
| PENSIVE | THOUGHTFUL; WORRIED |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| DISDAIN | TO REJECT AS BENEATH ONESELF |
| POINT OF VIEW | THE PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH A STORY IS TOLD |
| FIRST PERSON | CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRONOUN "I" |
| THIRD PERSON | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STROY WHO KNOES THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| OMNISCIENT | TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION | THE AUTHOR TELLS THE AUDIENCE WHAT THE CHARACTER IS LIKE |
| INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION | THE READER MUST USE THE CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND ACTIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CHARACTER IS REALLY LIKE |
| HAMPER | TO HINDER OR OBSTRUCT |
| PLACID | CALM; SERENE |
| ABRASIVE | COARSE; ROUGH |
| COVERT | HIDDEN |
| COWER | TO RECOIL IN FEAR |
| CREDIBLE | BELIEVABLE |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHAMEFUL |
| BLATANT | OBVIOUS |
| BLATANT | I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE ___ LIES SHE TOLD! |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHE WAS EMBARRASSED BY HER SON'S _____ BEHAVIOR. |
| DISDAIN | CANDICE LOOKED AT THE OTHER GIRL'S CLOTHING WITH ____. |
| COWERED | FRIGHTENED BY THE ANGRY, HISSING CAT, THE PUPPY ______ UNDERNEATH THE BED. |
| CREDIBLE | THE ATTORNEY THOUGHT THAT BOB WOULD MAKE A BELIEVABLE, ______ WITNESS. |
| PLACID | THE ____ EXPRESSION ON HER FACE HID HER INNER TURMOIL. |
| ABRASIVE | HIS _____ MANNER DID NOT ENDEAR HIM TO HIS PATIENTS; THEY THOUGHT HE WAS TOO HARSH. |
| COVERT | THE AGENTS WERE SENT OUT ON A ____ OPERATION. |
| HAMPER | THE INVESTIGATION WAS _____(ED) BY CRIME SCENE CONTAMINATION. |
| VICARIOUS | FELT OR UNDERGONE AS IF ONE WERE TAKING PART IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ANOTHER |
| VICARIOUSLY | JOHN LIVED ____(LY) THROUGH THE ACTION MOVIES HE WATCHED. |
| MANDATE | AN AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND |
| MANDATED | IT WAS ___(ED) THAT BOB DO FORTY HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. |
| ALTRUISM | SELFLESSNESS; UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| ALTRUISM | THE WEALTHY MAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ____; HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. |
| LACKADAISICAL | LACKING ENERGY |
| LACKADAISICAL | THE ____ YOUNG MAN WAS TOO LAZY TO GET HIS OWN SODA. |
| INEPT | CLUMSY |
| INEPT | THE ___ REFEREE KEPT GETTING IN THE FORWARD'S WAY. |
| FINESSE | SKILLFUL; TACTFUL, REFINEMENT AND DELICACY OF PERFORMANCE |
| FINESSE | ERIC STAAL'S ___ ON THE ICE MAKES HIM A LEADING GOAL-SCORER. |
| TENACIOUS | PERSISTANT |
| TENACIOUS | THE ____ MAN WOULD NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. |
| ENIGMA | A RIDDLE |
| ENIGMA | THE STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE SKY COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED; THEY WOULD REMAIN AN ______. |
| ARCHAIC | OUTDATED |
| ARCHAIC | THEY FOUND _____ REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT CIVILZATION AS THEY WERE EXCAVATING THAT PLOT OF LAND. |
| SACROSANCT | REGARDED AS SACRED |
| SACROSANCT | IN EQUALITY'S SOCIETY, THE COLLECTIVE GOOD IS _____ AND INDIVIDUALITY IS A SIN. |
| NEBULOUS | VAGUE; CLOUDY |
| NEBULOUS | WE FOUND HER DIRECTIONS TO BE SO ____ THAT NO ONE WAS SURE OF WHAT TO DO. |
| LOQUACIOUS | THE _____ GIRL WOULDN'T STOP TALKING! |
| LOQUACIOUS | VERY TALKATIVE |
| METONYMY | ONE WORD OR PHRASE IS SUBSTITED FOR ANOTHER WITH WHICH IT IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED. |
| METONYMY | WE RECEIVED ORDERS FROM WASHINGTON TO INVADE THE COMPOUND. |
| SYNECDOCHE | A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH A PART STANDS FOR THE WHOLE |
| SYNECDOCHE | HE ASKED FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE. |
| UTOPIA | AN IDEALLY PERFECT PLACE |
| UTOPIA | MY ____ IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS HAPPY AND CONTENT. |
| DYSTOPIA | A PLACE IN WHICH THE CONDITIONS ARE EXTREMELY BAD |
| DYSTOPIA | WHILE MARX'S IDEAS SOUNDED GOOD, THEY FORMED A ______ IN WHICH MANY PEOPLE WERE DEPRIVED OF BASIC NECESSITIES AND HAPPINESS. |
| Fickle | Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability |
| Soliloquy | A speech given by a character who is alone on stage |
| Aside | When a character onstage speaks to the audience and not the other characters |
| Monologue | A long speech given by a single character |
| Stage directions | Instructions for staging a play; not read aloud |
| Couplet | Two consecutive lines that rhyme |
| Drama | Literature meant to be performed onstage |
| Tragedy | A play in which the main character suffers a downfall |
| Tragic hero | The main character in a tragedy; he suffers a downfall due to a tragic flaw. |
| Tragic flaw | The flaw in the main character that brings about his/her downfall |
| Chorus | The group of people who come onstage to summarize what has happened and what will happen at the beginning or end of an act |
| Malevolent | Having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious. |
| Sarcastic | Contemptuous or ironic in manner or wit; nasty or mocking in speech |
| Flippant | Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; Irreverent |
| Impartial | unprejudiced; unbiased |
| Apothecary | Someone who prepares and sells medicines |
| Shrift | Confession to a priest |
| Sonnet | A fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter |
| Iambic pentamer | Lines of poetry consisting of five iambic feet ( an unstressed then a stressed syllable);there will be ten syllables per line |
| Abase | To humiliate or disgrace |
| Bard | A poet; often a singer |
| Boisterous | Loud and full of energy |
| Soliloquy | John was excited to have been cast as Hamlet. He hoped he would not be too nervous to stand alone on the stage and recite the famous ____________. |
| Impartial | Tom couldn’t be on the jury. There was no way he could be ____________ since the victim was his brother. |
| Abase | The bully takes great pleasure in trying to ____________ certain students. In reality |
| Drama | We couldn’t decide which ____________ to attend. We had heard that The Miracle Worker was good |
| Bard | Shakespeare is known as the ____________ of Avon. |
| Fickle | The ____________ young man kept changing his mind |
| Tragic heroes | Romeo and Hamlet are two famous ____________. |
| Sonnet | Shakespeare is just as famous for the 154 ____________ that he wrote as he is for his plays. It took great skill to write these poems. |
| Boisterous | Tammy’s ____________behavior resulted in her being asked to be quiet by the teacher. |
| Iambic pentameter | “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” is an example of ____________. |
| Apothecary | The knight visited the ____________ in order to purchase medicine for the sick squire. |
| Malevolent | When we moved into the old house |
| Tragic flaw | The main character’s ____________was his greed. It destroyed him. |
| Couplet | “True wit is nature to advantage dress’d;/ What oft was thought |
| Sarcastic | Bob’s ____________ remarks infuriated his girlfriend. She felt that he was mocking her. |
| Chorus | The ____________ came onto the stage and foreshadowed what would happen next. |
| Shrift | Julie is very devout. She goes to ____________every week confesses her sins. |
| Flippant | Brenda was being ____________ when she made that comment; unfortunately |
| Aside | Often in plays |
| Stage directions | The ____________indicated that the girl should enter from stage right. |
| Tragedy | I would like to see a comedy tonight. I’m not in the mood for a ____________; that would just make me cry. |
| Monologue | Billy was excited to be cast as Mercutio. He could envision himself standing with the other characters onstage as he delivered the famous Queen Mab ____________. |
| sentimental | 33) Since Sally is ____, she saves all the letters her boyfriend sends her. |
| metaphor | comparison that does not use like or as |
| how the story makes the reader feel | mood |
| the author's attitude | tone |
| repetition of vowel sounds | assonance |
| main point of the story; an idea seen throughout the story | theme |
| a play on words | pun |
| a two-word contradiction | oxymoron |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| soliloquy | speech a character gives alone on stage |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| Aside | a short speech heard by audience but not characters in the play |
| iambic pentameter | a meter in poetry consisting of five unrhymed lines-stressed and unstressed syllables |
| tragedy | a drama ending in catastrophe |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| VERSE | THE OPPOSITE OF PROSE; POETRY |
| PARADOX | A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTRADICTORY BUT ACTUALLY PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. | PARADOX |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| CHASTE | ROSALINE HAS SWORN TO LIVE __ AND PURE. |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | THE __ AND SCORNFUL CHILD WAS PUNISHED. |
| OBJECTIVE | ZEUS COULD NOT MAKE AN __ AND IMPARTIAL DECISION ABOUT THE GOLDEN APPLE. |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| SHAKESPEARE IS THE __ OF AVON. | BARD |
| SONNETS ARE WRITTEN IN | IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| SHAKESPEARE WROTE 154 OF THESE 14-LINE POEMS. | SONNETS |
| THE __ PREPARED MEDICINE FOR THE SICK CHILD. | APOTHECARY |
| IT WAS HARD TO BE __ WHEN ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS WAS HIS DAUGHTER. | IMPARTIAL |
| BOB'S ___ COMMENTS HURT ABBY'S FEELINGS. WHY WAS HE SO MOCKING? | SARCASTIC |
| BEING ___ AND MAKING JOKES WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SERIOUS CAN GET YOU IN TROUBLE. | FLIPPANT |
| THE ___ SPIRITS FRIGHTENED THE CHILDREN. | MALEVOLENT |
| THE __ CAME ONSTAGE AND SUMMARIZED THE PREVIOUS EVENTS. | CHORUS |
| YOUR BAD BEHAVIOR IN CLASS DOES NOTHING BUT __ YOURSELF. | ABASE |
| I ____ VEGETABLE SOUP. IT IS DISGUSTING. | ABHOR |
| TONY FORGOT ALL ABOUT JENNY WHEN HE SAW SANDY. HE'S SUCH A __ BOY. | FICKLE |
| abrasion | a wearing or rubbing away by friction |
| clad | clothed or covered |
| corroborate | to confirm |
| cursory | done quickly with little attention to detail |
| dehydrate | to remove the water from |
| derive | to take or receive from a source; to obtain through reasoning |
| endeavor | to attempt earnestly |
| gingerly | cautiously |
| gruesome | causing shock or horror |
| simulate | to take on the qualities of another; imitate; pretend |
| succumb | to yield; to give up or give in to |
| surmise | to suppose something without sufficient evidence |
| characterization | personality trait of characters |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| Metaphor | creation of an image with no like or as |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| personification | "The fog crept in on little cat feet." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| aside | a short speech delivered by an actor in a play, expressing a character's thoughts |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| setting | the timeand place of the action |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| MALEVOLENT | THE __ GHOST FRIGHTENED THE CHILDREN. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE __ MAN DONATED MONEY TO CHARITY. |
| IAMBIC PENTAMETER | MADE UP OF 10 SYLLABLES |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM |
| ASIDE | WHEN A CHARACTER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE AND NOT TO OTHER CHARACTERS |
| SOLILOQUY | A SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | DIRECTIONS FOR STAGING A PLAY |
| APOTHECARY | SOMEONE WHO MAKES MEDICINE |
| SHRIFT | CONFESSION |
| DRAMA | LITERATURE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ONSTAGE |
| TRAGEDY | A WORK OF LITERATURE IN WHICH THE MAIN CHARACTER SUFFERS A DOWNFALL |
| TRAGIC FLAW | THE PERSONALITY TRAIT THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF A CHARACTER |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| CHORUS | A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SUMMARIZE EACH ACT IN A PLAY |
| SARCASTIC | NASTY OR MOCKING IN SPEECH |
| SARCASTIC | I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE __ WAY THE STUDENT TALKED BACK TO HIS MOTHER. |
| FLIPPANT | DISRESPECTFUL LEVITY |
| FLIPPANT | BOB ANGERED HIS MOM BY TELLING __ JOKES AT A FUNERAL. |
| IMPARTIAL | I HOPE THAT THE JURY IS __ WHEN YOU GO TO COURT. |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| HOSTILE | WE WERE ALL AGGRAVATED BY BOB'S __ BEHAVIOR. WHY WAS HE SO MEAN? |
| COHESIVE | STICKING TOGETHER |
| cohesive | We must work together as a __ unit in order to win the game. |
| awe | amazement |
| AWE | SALLY STARED IN __ WHEN SHE WAS HANDED THE CHECK FOR A MILLION DOLLARS. |
| protagonist | the good guy in the story |
| antagonist | the bad guy in the story |
| in medias res | in the middle |
| in medias res | The Odyssey begins __ __ __ (3word phrase). |
| invocation | Homer prays during the ___ to the muse. |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to rename someone |
| epithet | Astro, the amazing wonder dog |
| epic poem | a long, narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who goes on a journey or a quest |
| epic poem | the Odyssey |
| contrast | to examine differences |
| compare | to look for similarities |
| affect | to influence the reader or cause a particular response in the reader |
| assume | to take upon oneself; to adopt |
| apply | to bring together information from one situation and transfer it to another |
| analyze | to separate into parts and examine |
| analyze | Our English teacher told us to break apart the sentence and ___ how the words are used. |
| apply | I can ___ skills from my math class to my new job. |
| assume | Since no one volunteered, Alice has to ___ the duties of secretary and treasurer. |
| affect | A book can ___ readers differently. |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| HOSTILE | WE WERE ALL AGGRAVATED BY BOB'S __ BEHAVIOR. WHY WAS HE SO MEAN? |
| COHESIVE | STICKING TOGETHER |
| cohesive | We must work together as a __ unit in order to win the game. |
| awe | amazement |
| AWE | SALLY STARED IN __ WHEN SHE WAS HANDED THE CHECK FOR A MILLION DOLLARS. |
| protagonist | the good guy in the story |
| antagonist | the bad guy in the story |
| in medias res | in the middle |
| in medias res | The Odyssey begins __ __ __ (3word phrase). |
| invocation | Homer prays during the ___ to the muse. |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to rename someone |
| epithet | Astro, the amazing wonder dog |
| epic poem | a long, narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who goes on a journey or a quest |
| epic poem | the Odyssey |
| EPIC HERO / PROTAGONIST | ODYSSEUS |
| PROTAGONIST | DOROTHY, HARRY POTTER, KATNISS EVERDEEN |
| ANTAGONIST | LORD VOLDEMORT, POSEIDON |
| CONCISE | WHEN BOB WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE COMMITTEE, HIS ANSWERS WERE ___ AND TO THE POINT. |
| CLARITY | ONCE THE FOG LIFTED, WE COULD SEE WITH GREAT ____ HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE DURING THE ACCIDENT. |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| benevolent | characterized by good works |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ ORGANIZATION PROVIDES SEVERAL SCHOLARSHIPS EACH YEAR. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| protagonist | Harry Potter, Shrek, or Peter Parker |
| antagonist | The Green Goblin, The Joker, or Lord Voldemort |
| alliteration | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers |
| metaphor | She’s as happy as a clam |
| hostile | The natives turned out to be ____ cannibals who threatened to kill us all. |
| personification | The sun hid behind the clouds |
| cohesive | The hockey players had to work together as a ____ unit in order to win the game. |
| awe | Carrie stared at the movie star in ___. She couldn’t believe that she got to meet him! |
| clarity | My teacher says that my writing is muddled and lacks ______. |
| pleo | more |
| pod | foot |
| soror | sister |
| -a | plural |
| val | worth |
| para | beside, near |
| dom | rule |
| erg | work |
| rhiz | root |
| sapro | rotten |
| epic | a long, narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero who goes on a journey or a quest |
| epithet | a word or phrase that renames someone |
| hyperbole | extreme exaggeration |
| protagonist | the main character; the character who drives the plot forward |
| antagonist | the character who works agains the main character |
| simile | a comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirit |
| malevolent | evil |
| benevolent | kind |
| somber | serious; grave |
| placid | calm; serene |
| detached | emotionally disconnected |
| epic hero | a hero who is clever, strong, brave, a good leader, receives supernatural help, suffers from human flaws, and represents his/her country in thoughts, words, and deeds. Goes on a journey or quest |
| Odysseus | an epic hero and a protagonist |
| Poseidon | One of Odyseus' antagonists |
| SIMILE | She is as beautiful as a rose in bloom. |
| METAPHOR | Her eyes, limpid lagoons of blue, were mesmerizing. |
| HYPERBOLE | My head is killing me! |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| stanza | groups of lines in a poem - paragraphs, stanzas |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| metaphor | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | When the actress saw her first gray hair, she thought she'd dye! |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Assonance | harmony of vowel sounds |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE, PROSE FICTION |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE ACTION THAT LEADS TO THE CLIMAX |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| PROSPERITY | WEALTH |
| TAUNTING | TEASING; JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CAPITULATE | TO SURRENDER |
| GRAVE | SERIOUS; SOMBER; DANGEROUS |
| INTREPID | FEARLESS |
| AMICABLE | FRIENDLY |
| RANCOROUS | FILLED WITH HATE |
| VINDICATE | TO FREE FROM GUILT |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| amicable | She is an ___ girl who is friends with everyone. |
| cherish | I will always __my old photographs. |
| taunting | Elbert was sent to the office for ___ the new student and making her cry. |
| prosperity | It is good to share your ___ with the less fortunate. |
| ecstatic | Brad was __ when he learned he won the award. |
| rancorous | The Montagues and the Capulets have a __ relationship. |
| grave | Bob was in ___ danger when the zombies broke through the door. |
| vindicate | The new evidence will ____ Bob and prove that Simon was the murderer. |
| empathetic | understanding the feelings of another |
| EMPATHETIC | SINCE I HAVE LOST A PET OF MY OWN, I CAN BE ___ ABOUT YOUR LOSS. |
| intrepid | The ___ explorer scaled the mountain without any worries about the danger he faced. |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| SOLILOQUY | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| ASIDE | WHEN A CHARACTER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE AND NOT TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | INSTRUCTIONS FOR STAGING A PLAY |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| DRAMA | LITERATURE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ON STAGE |
| TRAGEDY | A PLAY IN WHICH THE MAIN CHARACTER SUFFERS A DOWNFALL |
| TRAGIC HERO | THE MAIN CHARACTER IN A TRAGEDY; HE SUFFERS A DOWNFALL DUE TO A FATAL OR TRAGIC FLAW |
| TRAGIC FLAW | THE FLAW THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF THE MAIN CHARACTER |
| CHORUS | A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COME ONSTAGE TO SUMMARIZE WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN |
| BENEVOLENT | CHARACTERIZED BY CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| MALEVOLENT | HAVING OR EXHIBITING ILL WILL; WISHING TO HARM OTHERS; MALICIOUS |
| SARCASTIC | CONTEMPTUOUS OR IRONIC IN MANNER OR WIT; NASTY OR MOCKING IN SPEECH |
| FLIPPANT | MARKED BY DISRESPECTFUL LEVITY OR CASUALNESS; IRREVERENT |
| IMPARTIAL | UNPREJUDICED; UNBIASED |
| APOTHECARY | SOMEONE WHO PREPARES AND SELLS MEDICINES |
| SHRIFT | CONFESSION TO A PRIEST |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM WRITTEN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| IAMBIC PENTAMETER | LINES OF POETRY CONSISTING OF FIVE IAMBIC FEET; THERE WILL BE TEN SYLLABLES PER LINE |
| alliteration | repetition of the first letters of words |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE MELANCHOLY GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| FICKLE | THE ___ BOY BROKE UP WITH JENNY BECAUSE HE SAW TINA AND FELL IN LOVE. |
| SHRIFT | I MUST GO TO ___ IN ORDER TO CONFESS MY SINS. |
| SARCASTIC | BOB WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ___ TO HIS MOTHER. |
| MALEVOLENT | THE ___ SPIRITS THREATENED US. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ LADY DONATED MONEY TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. |
| APOTHECARY | THE ___ MADE MEDICINE FOR THE PATIENT. |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| SOLILOQUY | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A CHARACTER WHO IS ALONE ONSTAGE |
| ASIDE | WHEN A CHARACTER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE AUDIENCE AND NOT TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS ONSTAGE |
| MONOLOGUE | A LONG SPEECH GIVEN BY A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | INSTRUCTIONS FOR STAGING A PLAY |
| COUPLET | TWO CONSECUTIVE LINES THAT RHYME |
| DRAMA | LITERATURE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED ON STAGE |
| TRAGEDY | A PLAY IN WHICH THE MAIN CHARACTER SUFFERS A DOWNFALL |
| TRAGIC HERO | THE MAIN CHARACTER IN A TRAGEDY; HE SUFFERS A DOWNFALL DUE TO A FATAL OR TRAGIC FLAW |
| TRAGIC FLAW | THE FLAW THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF THE MAIN CHARACTER |
| CHORUS | A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COME ONSTAGE TO SUMMARIZE WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN |
| BENEVOLENT | CHARACTERIZED BY CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| MALEVOLENT | HAVING OR EXHIBITING ILL WILL; WISHING TO HARM OTHERS; MALICIOUS |
| SARCASTIC | CONTEMPTUOUS OR IRONIC IN MANNER OR WIT; NASTY OR MOCKING IN SPEECH |
| FLIPPANT | MARKED BY DISRESPECTFUL LEVITY OR CASUALNESS; IRREVERENT |
| IMPARTIAL | UNPREJUDICED; UNBIASED |
| APOTHECARY | SOMEONE WHO PREPARES AND SELLS MEDICINES |
| SHRIFT | CONFESSION TO A PRIEST |
| SONNET | A FOURTEEN LINE POEM WRITTEN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| IAMBIC PENTAMETER | LINES OF POETRY CONSISTING OF FIVE IAMBIC FEET; THERE WILL BE TEN SYLLABLES PER LINE |
| soliloquy | speech a character gives alone on stage |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| foreshadowing | technique of hinting about events to come |
| aside | line not meant to be heard by other characters |
| alliteration | repetition of the first letters of words |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| personification | giving human qualities to something that is not |
| metaphor | comparison with a hidden meaning |
| simile | comparison using "like" or "as" |
| foreshadowing | clues in a story about what will happen later |
| irony | meaning one thing but saying the opposite |
| onomatopeia | a word that imitates the sound |
| oxymoron | a statement that contains contradictory terms |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | Mercutio with his dying breath: "Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man." |
| irony | A term that suggests some sort of discrepancy between appearance and reality; says one thing and means another |
| biography | An account of a person’s life written or told by another person |
| metaphor | An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing |
| hyperbole | An overstatement or exaggeration |
| flashback | Interruption in the present action of the plot to show events that happened at an earlier time |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| theme | The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| protagonist | The main character in a literary work |
| alliteration | The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds as in lime light |
| characterization | the act of creating or describing a character, by showing what they say, do and think, showing what other characters say about them, and by showing what physical features, dress and personality they display |
| epic | a long story., often told in verse, that tells of a culture's heroes and gods |
| external conflict | a struggle that takes place between a character and something outside that character such as another character, society or nature |
| foreshadowing | the act of hinting at events that will happen later in a literary work |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place inside the mind of the character |
| irony | a difference between appearance and reality, an event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that is spoken or written about as if it were another |
| mood | the feeling or emotion that the writer creates in a literary |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | 24. displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| oxymoron | ACT NATURALLY |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| IN MEDIAS RES | THE ODYSSEY BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE. |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| antagonist | the person who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE MELANCHOLY GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| FICKLE | THE ___ BOY BROKE UP WITH JENNY BECAUSE HE SAW TINA AND FELL IN LOVE. |
| SHRIFT | I MUST GO TO ___ IN ORDER TO CONFESS MY SINS. |
| SARCASTIC | BOB WAS PUNISHED FOR BEING ___ TO HIS MOTHER. |
| MALEVOLENT | THE ___ SPIRITS THREATENED US. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ LADY DONATED MONEY TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. |
| APOTHECARY | THE ___ MADE MEDICINE FOR THE PATIENT. |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| tone | the author's attitude toward the subject of the work |
| facetious | Mom was angered by his __ attitude. |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| pun | Soldiers in plays like to Shakespeares. |
| pun | A former doctor, while auditioning for a play, broke his leg. But luckily, he could still make the cast. |
| THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. | PARADOX |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAINT A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING; FORESHADOWING |
| ballad | "Lord Randal" |
| ballad | a poem about someone from the past; often set to music |
| GRAVE | SOMBER OR SOLEMN; DANGEROUS |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| EMPATHETIC | EXHIBITIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS FEELINGS |
| SERENE | CALM AND UNRUFFLED |
| TAUNTING | JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CHERISH | TO HOLD DEAR |
| RESOLUTION | WHEN ALL THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP |
| FALLING ACTION | EVENTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE CLIMAX |
| CLIMAX | POINT OF NO RETURN; POINT OF MOST INTENSE INTEREST |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE CLIMAX |
| NARRATIVE HOOK | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT GRABS THE READER'S ATTENTION |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS THE BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| PLOT | THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN A STORY |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE PROSE FICTION |
| ANECDOTE | SHORT SUMMARY OF A FUNNY EVENT |
| ARCHETYPE | A REPEATING PATTERN OR FORM IN LITERATURE |
| BALLAD | A SONG ABOUT SOMEONE FROM THE PAST |
| CLICHE | AN OVERUSED WORD OR PHRASE |
| DIALOGUE | CONVERSATION BETWEEN 2 OR MORE CHARACTERS |
| SYMBOL | SOMETHING SEEN THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING UNSEEN |
| FICTION | STORIES ABOUT IMAGINARY PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS |
| FREE VERSE | POETRY WITHOUT A REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYTHM OR RHYME |
| LYRIC POETRY | SHORT POETRY, USUALLY ABOUT AN EMOTION, AND ONLY HAS ONE SPEAKER |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| mood | the way a work of literature makes the reader feel |
| tone | the author's attitude toward the subject of the work |
| grave | Driving in bad weather could be a ___ mistake. |
| facetious | Mom was angered by his __ attitude. |
| empathetic | Anyone who has lost a beloved pet would feel ___ towards the little girl who lost her kitten. |
| serene | The fisherman enjoyed the calm, __ lake. |
| cherish | I will always ___ my memories of the past. |
| disdain | to reject as beneath oneself |
| DISDAIN | TO REGARD WITH CONTEMPT |
| first person POV | characterized by the pronoun I |
| FIRST PERSON POV | WHEN THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| THIRD PERSON | THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS/FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| OMNISCIENT | THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS/FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| FLAT CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WITH ONLY ON PERSONALITY TRAIT |
| ROUND CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TRAITS |
| HAMPER | TO HINDER |
| ABRASIVE | ROUGH, COARSE, HARSH |
| PLACID | CALM, PEACEFUL, SERENE |
| COVERT | HIDDEN, UNDERCOVER |
| COWER | TO SHRINK AWAY FROM; TO RECOIL IN FEAR |
| CREDIBLE | BELIEVABLE |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHAMEFUL, VERY BAD |
| BLATANT | OBVIOUS |
| LANGUID | SLUGGISH FROM FATIGUE OR WEAKNESS |
| TACITURN | NOT INCLINED TO TALK |
| DEBACLE | A DISASTROUS FAILURE; DISRUPTION |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE, PROSE FICTION |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE ACTION THAT LEADS TO THE CLIMAX |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| PROSPERITY | WEALTH |
| TAUNTING | TEASING; JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CAPITULATE | TO SURRENDER |
| GRAVE | SERIOUS; SOMBER; DANGEROUS |
| INTREPID | FEARLESS |
| AMICABLE | FRIENDLY |
| RANCOROUS | FILLED WITH HATE |
| VINDICATE | TO FREE FROM GUILT |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| debacle | The party turned into a ___ when the guests began fighting. |
| hamper | His movements were __(ed) by the cast on his leg. |
| placid | He was a ___ man who never seemed to be anything but calm. |
| taciturn | We were worried by her ___ behavior. Why wouldn't she talk? |
| covert | The __ mission was a success. The enemy never suspected the spies had infiltrated their government. |
| cower | The small child __(ed) in bed because he was afraid there was a monster in his closet. |
| reprehensible | Stealing from the less fortunate is a ___ act. |
| blatant | His ___ disregard for the rules was his downfall. It was obvious he was the vandal. |
| languid | We worked so hard in the barn that we were ___ and fatigued later that evening. |
| amicable | She is an ___ girl who is friends with everyone. |
| cherish | I will always __my old photographs. |
| pensive | The __ expression on his face indicated that he was worried about something. |
| taunting | Elbert was sent to the office for ___ the new student and making her cry. |
| prosperity | It is good to share your ___ with the less fortunate. |
| ecstatic | Brad was __ when he learned he won the award. |
| rancorous | The Montagues and the Capulets have a __ relationship. |
| grave | Bob was in ___ danger when the zombies broke through the door. |
| vindicate | The new evidence will ____ Bob and prove that Simon was the murderer. |
| empathetic | understanding the feelings of another |
| EMPATHETIC | SINCE I HAVE LOST A PET OF MY OWN, I CAN BE ___ ABOUT YOUR LOSS. |
| intrepid | The ___ explorer scaled the mountain without any worries about the danger he faced. |
| disdain | to reject as beneath oneself |
| DISDAIN | TO REGARD WITH CONTEMPT |
| first person POV | characterized by the pronoun I |
| FIRST PERSON POV | WHEN THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A CHARACTER IN THE STORY |
| THIRD PERSON | THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS/FEELINGS OF A SINGLE CHARACTER |
| OMNISCIENT | THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE STORY WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS/FEELINGS OF ALL THE CHARACTERS |
| FLAT CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WITH ONLY ON PERSONALITY TRAIT |
| ROUND CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TRAITS |
| HAMPER | TO HINDER |
| ABRASIVE | ROUGH, COARSE, HARSH |
| PLACID | CALM, PEACEFUL, SERENE |
| COVERT | HIDDEN, UNDERCOVER |
| COWER | TO SHRINK AWAY FROM; TO RECOIL IN FEAR |
| CREDIBLE | BELIEVABLE |
| REPREHENSIBLE | SHAMEFUL, VERY BAD |
| BLATANT | OBVIOUS |
| LANGUID | SLUGGISH FROM FATIGUE OR WEAKNESS |
| TACITURN | NOT INCLINED TO TALK |
| DEBACLE | A DISASTROUS FAILURE; DISRUPTION |
| NOVEL | A LONG WORK OF NARRATIVE, PROSE FICTION |
| RISING ACTION | ALL THE ACTION THAT LEADS TO THE CLIMAX |
| ECSTATIC | EXTREMELY JOYFUL |
| PROSPERITY | WEALTH |
| TAUNTING | TEASING; JEERING; TORMENTING |
| CAPITULATE | TO SURRENDER |
| GRAVE | SERIOUS; SOMBER; DANGEROUS |
| INTREPID | FEARLESS |
| AMICABLE | FRIENDLY |
| RANCOROUS | FILLED WITH HATE |
| VINDICATE | TO FREE FROM GUILT |
| EXPOSITION | THE PART OF THE STORY THAT EXPLAINS BACKGROUND AND MAKES CONFLICT CLEAR |
| debacle | The party turned into a ___ when the guests began fighting. |
| hamper | His movements were __(ed) by the cast on his leg. |
| placid | He was a ___ man who never seemed to be anything but calm. |
| taciturn | We were worried by her ___ behavior. Why wouldn't she talk? |
| covert | The __ mission was a success. The enemy never suspected the spies had infiltrated their government. |
| cower | The small child __(ed) in bed because he was afraid there was a monster in his closet. |
| reprehensible | Stealing from the less fortunate is a ___ act. |
| blatant | His ___ disregard for the rules was his downfall. It was obvious he was the vandal. |
| languid | We worked so hard in the barn that we were ___ and fatigued later that evening. |
| amicable | She is an ___ girl who is friends with everyone. |
| cherish | I will always __my old photographs. |
| pensive | The __ expression on his face indicated that he was worried about something. |
| taunting | Elbert was sent to the office for ___ the new student and making her cry. |
| prosperity | It is good to share your ___ with the less fortunate. |
| ecstatic | Brad was __ when he learned he won the award. |
| rancorous | The Montagues and the Capulets have a __ relationship. |
| grave | Bob was in ___ danger when the zombies broke through the door. |
| vindicate | The new evidence will ____ Bob and prove that Simon was the murderer. |
| empathetic | understanding the feelings of another |
| EMPATHETIC | SINCE I HAVE LOST A PET OF MY OWN, I CAN BE ___ ABOUT YOUR LOSS. |
| intrepid | The ___ explorer scaled the mountain without any worries about the danger he faced. |
| vicarious | 1._______________ Adj. Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or |
| tenacious | 2._______________ Adj. Persistent; unwilling to yield |
| mandate | 3._______________ N. An authoritative command or instruction; V. To assign or order |
| altruism | 4._______________ N. Selflessness; unselfish concern for others |
| lackadaisical | languid; lacking energy; lazy |
| inept | Adj. Clumsy; incompetent |
| finesse | 7._______________ N. Refinement and delicacy of performance, execution, or artisanship; |
| enigma | 8._______________ N. A riddle; something that is perplexing |
| archaic | 9._______________ Adj. Outdated; referring to something from the past; antiquated |
| sacrosanct | 10._______________ Adj. Regarded as sacred; looked at with reverence and respect |
| nebulous | 11._______________ Adj. Cloudy or misty; vague; lacking definite form or limits |
| loquacious | 12._______________ Adj. Garrulous; very talkative |
| utopia | 13._______________ N. an ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral |
| dystopia | 14._______________ N. An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is |
| VICARIOUS | PEOPLE ENJOY READING BECAUSE THEY GET TO LIVE __(LY) THROUGH THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORIES. |
| TENACIOUS | SHE WAS A __ ATTORNEY WHO WOULD NOT GIVE UP WHEN THINGS WERE LOOKING DISMAL. |
| MANDATE | MOM __(ED) THAT NO ONE WOULD LEAVE THE TABLE UNTIL BOB HAD EATEN ALL HIS LIMA BEANS. |
| ALTRUISM | TIMMY IS KNOWN FOR HIS ___; HE WILLING GOES WITHOUT SO THAT THE LESS FORTUNATE CAN HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. |
| LACKADAISICAL | HARRY'S ___ ATTITUDE GOT HIM IN TROUBLE WHEN MOM SAW THE BAD GRADES ON HIS REPORT CARD. |
| INEPT | AN __ DOCTOR COULD KILL SOMEONE! YOU DEFINITELY WANT A SURGEON WHO HAS A GOOD REPUTATION. |
| FINESSE | IT TOOK SOME ____, BUT BOB WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CONVINCE SALLY TO GO OUT WITH HIM. |
| ENIGMA | THE MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS THAT CAME FROM THE BASEMENT REMAINED AN ____ WHEN NO ONE COULD DISCOVER THE CAUSE. |
| SACROSANCT | THE TEMPLE IS SO ___ THAT ONLY A SELCT FEW ARE ALLOWED INSIDE. |
| NEBULOUS | BRIAN'S EXCUSES WERE SO ___ THAT WE ALL KNEW HE WAS LYING. HE WAS WAY TOO VAGUE! |
| LOQUACIOUS | HARRIET IS SO __ THAT NO ONE ELSE EVER GETS A CHANCE TO TALK. |
| UTOPIA | WE MOVED TO THE RAIN FOREST HOPING TO FOUND A ___ WHERE WE COULD BUILD THE PERFECT LIVES. |
| DYSTOPIA | A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY WHERE CHILDREN STARVE TO DEATH DAILY COULD BE DESCRIBED AS A __. |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| PERSONIFICATION | THE SEA CALLED TO ODYESSEUS. |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| assonance | repetition of internal vowel sounds |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words |
| onomatopoeia | words that represent sounds |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | The three little kittens have lost their mittens. Sally and Billy ate strawberry jelly. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| characterization | how an author describes her characters; can be direct or indirect |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Oxymoron | a linking of an adjective and noun which contradict each other |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| SIMILE | YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUNSET. |
| METAPHOR | SHE IS THE APPLE OF MY EYE. |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | THE CAT ATE THE RAT ON THE PLATE. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| pun | Soldiers in plays like to Shakespeares. |
| pun | A former doctor, while auditioning for a play, broke his leg. But luckily, he could still make the cast. |
| VICARIOUS | FELT OR UNDERGONE AS IF ONE WERE TAKING PART IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ANOTHER |
| VICARIOUSLY | JOHN LIVED ____(LY) THROUGH THE ACTION MOVIES HE WATCHED. |
| MANDATE | AN AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND |
| MANDATED | IT WAS ___(ED) THAT BOB DO FORTY HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. |
| ALTRUISM | SELFLESSNESS; UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| ALTRUISM | THE WEALTHY MAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ____; HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. |
| LACKADAISICAL | LACKING ENERGY |
| LACKADAISICAL | THE ____ YOUNG MAN WAS TOO LAZY TO GET HIS OWN SODA. |
| INEPT | CLUMSY |
| INEPT | THE ___ REFEREE KEPT GETTING IN THE FORWARD'S WAY. |
| FINESSE | SKILLFUL; TACTFUL, REFINEMENT AND DELICACY OF PERFORMANCE |
| FINESSE | ERIC STAAL'S ___ ON THE ICE MAKES HIM A LEADING GOAL-SCORER. |
| TENACIOUS | PERSISTANT |
| TENACIOUS | THE ____ MAN WOULD NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. |
| ENIGMA | A RIDDLE |
| ENIGMA | THE STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE SKY COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED; THEY WOULD REMAIN AN ______. |
| ARCHAIC | OUTDATED |
| ARCHAIC | THEY FOUND _____ REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT CIVILZATION AS THEY WERE EXCAVATING THAT PLOT OF LAND. |
| SACROSANCT | REGARDED AS SACRED |
| SACROSANCT | THE TEMPLE WAS ____ TO THE FOLLOWERS OF THAT RELIGION. |
| NEBULOUS | VAGUE; CLOUDY |
| NEBULOUS | WE FOUND HER DIRECTIONS TO BE SO ____ THAT NO ONE WAS SURE OF WHAT TO DO. |
| LOQUACIOUS | THE _____ GIRL WOULDN'T STOP TALKING! |
| LOQUACIOUS | VERY TALKATIVE |
| UTOPIA | AN IDEALLY PERFECT PLACE |
| UTOPIA | MY ____ IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS HAPPY AND CONTENT. |
| DYSTOPIA | A PLACE IN WHICH THE CONDITIONS ARE EXTREMELY BAD |
| DYSTOPIA | WHILE MARX'S IDEAS SOUNDED GOOD, THEY FORMED A ______ IN WHICH MANY PEOPLE WERE DEPRIVED OF BASIC NECESSITIES AND HAPPINESS. |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| novel | a long work of narrative, prose fiction |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| HOSTILE | WE WERE ALL AGGRAVATED BY BOB'S __ BEHAVIOR. WHY WAS HE SO MEAN? |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| HYPERBOLE | I'VE SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES! |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| OXYMORON | "sweet sorrow" "cold fire" |
| PARADOX | "Much madness is divinest sense." |
| PERSONIFICATION | "The train wailed in the night." |
| PUN | When the actress saw her first gray hair, she thought she'd dye! |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| VEHEMENT | CHARACTERIZED BY FORCEFUL EMOTIONS |
| CONDESCENDING | displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles to make a decision |
| conflict | the problem or complication in a story |
| assonance | repetition of internal vowel sounds |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the ends of words |
| onomatopoeia | words that represent sounds |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | BUZZ |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | The three little kittens have lost their mittens. Sally and Billy ate strawberry jelly. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| ASSONANCE | "cry" "side" "mine" "type" |
| CONSONANCE | "...a murmuring of immemorial elms..." |
| HYPERBOLE | "...the shot heard 'round the world..." |
| METAPHOR | "Time is money." |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | "buzz" "bang" "hiss" "splash" |
| SIMILE | "The warrior fought like a lion." |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| theme | central message of a work |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| mood | feeling created (in the reader) by a work |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| flashback | a section in a literary work that interrupts the chronological order of events to relate an event from an earlier time. (goes back in time) |
| protagonist | the good main character |
| antagonist | the bad main character |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Oxymoron | a linking of an adjective and noun which contradict each other |
| metaphors | "The stream's a snake." |
| simile | "She dances like a princess." |
| hyperbole | "My date last night was the most beautiful girl in the world." |
| oxymoron | "Jumbo shrimp" |
| ALLITERATION | "The twisting trout twinkled below." |
| antagonist | The character that contends with or opposes another character |
| conflict | The struggle between persons or forces in a work of drama or fiction |
| Mood | the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| static character | does not change or grow |
| external conflict | main character struggles against and outside force |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself or herself |
| ALLITERATION | LOVELY LILTING LINES OF LIKE LETTERS |
| hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| personification | giving human characteristics to non-human things |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| characterization | THE WAY AN AUTHOR REVEALS HER CHARACTERS |
| SOLEMN | DEEPLY SERIOUS |
| INDIGNANT | FEELING OR SHOWING ANGER |
| CONDESCENDING | displaying a superior attitude |
| STATIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO STAYS THE SAME |
| DYNAMIC CHARACTER | A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES |
| SENTIMENTAL | EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| Irony | use of a word to convey opposite meaning |
| concise | clear and succinct |
| in medias res | in the middle of things |
| melancholy | sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom |
| nostalgic | feeling a bittersweet longing for the past and/or homesickness |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents the values of a particular culture and often goes on a long journey or quest |
| hostile | feeling or showing ill-will |
| epithet | a word or phrase used to replace someone’s name; it helps characterize that person |
| clarity | clearness of thought or style; lucidity |
| invocation | a prayer for inspiration |
| epic | a long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character |
| INVOCATION | HOMER BEGINS THE ODYSSEY WITH A ___ TO THE MUSE. |
| EPIC | THE ODYSSEY |
| EPITHET | XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS |
| EPIC HERO | ODYSSEUS |
| external conflict | when a character battles an outside force |
| ASSONANCE | HOW NOW BROWN COW |
| CONSONANCE | THE CAT ATE THE RAT ON THE PLATE. |
| foreshadowing | giving clues to suggest events that have yet to occur |
| irony | contrast between what is stated and what is meant |
| ABDICATE | THE KING DECIDED TO ___ THE THRONE. |
| ABSOLVE | HE ASKED THE PRIEST TO ____ HIM OF HIS SINS. |
| ARROGANT | THE ___ BOY THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. |
| BENEVOLENT | THE ___ WOMAN WORKED HARD TO HELP THE HOMELESS. |
| NOSTALGIC | THE ____ BOY MISSED HIS MOM. |
| MELANCHOLY | THE _______ GIRL CRIED ALL THE TIME. |
| pun | Soldiers in plays like to Shakespeares. |
| pun | A former doctor, while auditioning for a play, broke his leg. But luckily, he could still make the cast. |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| VERSE | THE OPPOSITE OF PROSE; POETRY |
| PARADOX | A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTRADICTORY BUT ACTUALLY PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| PARADOX | THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | LACKING SERIOUS INTENT; NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SHOWING OR EXPRESSING CONTEMPT OR DISDAIN |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING |
| ADVERSARY | A FOE, AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAINT A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| ADVERSARY | HIS __ CHASED HIM DOWN THE STREET. |
| CHASTE | ROSALINE HAS SWORN TO LIVE __ AND PURE. |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | THE __ AND SCORNFUL CHILD WAS PUNISHED. |
| OBJECTIVE | ZEUS COULD NOT MAKE AN __ AND IMPARTIAL DECISION ABOUT THE GOLDEN APPLE. |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| PORTENTOUS | THE THUNDER WAS A __ SIGN THAT SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN. |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING; FORESHADOWING |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| bitter | resentful |
| VERSE | POETRY |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO CONTRASTS ANOTHER |
| SYMPATHETIC | UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SCORNFUL |
| PORTENTOUS | PROPHETIC |
| ADVERSARY | AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARADOX | A CONTRADICTORY STATEMENT THAT PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| PROSE | THE OPPOSITE OF POETRY |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds |
| solemn | deeply serious |
| IMAGERY | RECREATES SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| verse | the opposite of prose; POETRY |
| Paradox | A statement that seems to be contradictory but actually presents a truth |
| Allusion | A reference to something outside the work; Usually mythical |
| Foil | A character who seems to be the opposite of the main character; a character who helps emphasize the traits of another character through contrast |
| Sympathetic | Adj. comprehending the needs |
| Facetious | adj. not meant to be taken seriously or literally; amusing; humorous; lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential |
| Objective | adj. not influenced by personal feelings |
| Contemptuous | Adj. showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful. |
| Portentous | Adj. Significant; prophetic; foreboding; foreshadowing something bad |
| Decree | N. a legally binding command or decision |
| Adversary | a person |
| Chaste | Adj. Free from obscenity; decent; pure |
| Connotation | All the feelings associated with a word. |
| Perturb | V. to disturb greatly |
| Denotation | Dictionary definition of a word |
| Relegate | v. To send off or consign |
| Parallelism | Repetition of grammatical structure |
| Prose | The opposite of poetry |
| Imagery | Words that paint a picture; the use of words to recreate sensory experience; language that appeals to the five senses |
| Paradox | “The silence echoed in the hallway” and “She heard me speaking |
| Chaste | The Carmelite nuns chose to live __ lives and dedicate their time to God. |
| Relegate | Mom decided to __ Dad’s pool table to the basement so that she could turn the den into an office. |
| Perturb | It will really __ Mom if you don’t take out the trash. That annoys her. |
| Decree | Everyone was afraid to break the rules because of the king’s __ that violators would be punished severely. |
| Prose | When you write a paragraph |
| Facetious | While Jim’s __ remarks made us laugh |
| Portentous | The __ music in the horror movie told us that someone would die soon. |
| Denotation | I had to use the dictionary to find the __ of the word. |
| Imagery | “The sweet |
| Objective | In order to be an impartial jury member |
| Sympathetic | Tammy is a __person. Other people’s problems make her sad. |
| Adversaries | The Capulets and the Montagues are __. |
| Foil | Mercutio is a__to Romeo because they have opposite opinions about love |
| Connotations | Many words have different __ for different people. Some people have negative feelings or __ associated with words like “pig.” |
| Contemptuous | Tybalt is __ of all the Montagues. |
| Allusion | Jake has the strength of Hercules is an __to Greek mythology. |
| Verse | Since the Odyssey is an epic poem |
| elusive | hard to pin down |
| conflagration | a large fire |
| bellicose | aggressive |
| end rhyme | rhyming words at the ends of two or more lines of poetry |
| stanza | a verse paragraph |
| quatrain | a four line stanza |
| morose | gloomy |
| nettle | to annoy |
| bemoan | to complain about |
| surreptitious | sneaky |
| perpetuated | caused to continue |
| nefarious | wicked, immoral |
| pseudonym | an author's assumed name |
| conundrum | an enigma; a puzzle |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Pun | play on words |
| Personification | give inanimate object human characteristics |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| symbol | A person, place, thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well; it can signify something else |
| tone | the writer's attitude is revealed through this |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines usually of the sme lenght and meter |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject of a literary work |
| apparent | clearly revealed to the mind or sense of judgment |
| scrutinize | to examine carefully for accuracy |
| MOROSE | HE WAS SO ___ THAT I WONDERED IF HE'D EVER SMILED. |
| BELLICOSE | TYBALT IS A ___ PERSON WHO ENJOYS CONFLICT. |
| ELUSIVE | BOB CHASED THAT ___ A IN CALCULUS, BUT HE SEEMED TO ALWAYS MAKE B'S. |
| NETTLE | POLLY'S SILLINESS WAS ENOUGH TO ___ THE MOST PATIENT PERSON. |
| BEMOAN | CALEB __(ED) THE FACT THAT HE HAD TO DO HIS CHORES BEFORE GOING TO THE MOVIES. |
| SURREPTITIOUS | BELINDA BLUSHED WHEN HENRY CAUGHT HER TRYING TO __(LY) GLANCE AT HIM IN CLASS. |
| CONUNDRUM | CHOOSING THE PERFECT WEDDING DRESS WAS A __ THAT CAUSED SAVANNAH A LOT OF STRESS. SHE JUST COULDN'T DECIDE! |
| PERPETUATE | THE REPORTER DID NOT CHECK HER FACTS, AND HER ERRONEOUS NEWS REPORT HELPED TO ___ UNTRUTHS ABOUT THE POLITICAL CANDIDATE. |
| CONFLAGRATION | IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS TO BATTLE THE ___ THAT DESTROYED THE FACTORY. |
| NEFARIOUS | HOWARD WAS ARRESTED FOR A ___ PLOT TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT. |
| allusion | a reference to something outside the work, especially from history, mythology, or the Bible |
| parallelism | repetition of grammatical structure |
| irony | when the opposite of what you expect to happen happens |
| tenacious | refusing to give up |
| ecstatic | extremely joyful |
| hyperbole | extreme exaggeration |
| Fickle | Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability |
| Soliloquy | A speech given by a character who is alone on stage |
| Aside | When a character onstage speaks to the audience and not the other characters |
| Monologue | A long speech given by a single character |
| Stage directions | Instructions for staging a play; not read aloud |
| Couplet | Two consecutive lines that rhyme |
| Drama | Literature meant to be performed onstage |
| Tragedy | A play in which the main character suffers a downfall |
| Tragic hero | The main character in a tragedy; he suffers a downfall due to a tragic flaw. |
| Tragic flaw | The flaw in the main character that brings about his/her downfall |
| Chorus | The group of people who come onstage to summarize what has happened and what will happen at the beginning or end of an act |
| Malevolent | Having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious. |
| Sarcastic | Contemptuous or ironic in manner or wit; nasty or mocking in speech |
| Flippant | Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; Irreverent |
| Impartial | unprejudiced; unbiased |
| Apothecary | Someone who prepares and sells medicines |
| Shrift | Confession to a priest |
| Sonnet | A fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter |
| Iambic pentamer | Lines of poetry consisting of five iambic feet ( an unstressed then a stressed syllable);there will be ten syllables per line |
| Abase | To humiliate or disgrace |
| Abhor | To hate or detest |
| Bard | A poet; often a singer |
| Boisterous | Loud and full of energy |
| Soliloquy | John was excited to have been cast as Hamlet. He hoped he would not be too nervous to stand alone on the stage and recite the famous ____________. |
| Impartial | Tom couldn’t be on the jury. There was no way he could be ____________ since the victim was his brother. |
| Abase | The bully takes great pleasure in trying to ____________ certain students. In reality |
| Drama | We couldn’t decide which ____________ to attend. We had heard that The Miracle Worker was good |
| Bard | Shakespeare is known as the ____________ of Avon. |
| Fickle | The ____________ young man kept changing his mind |
| Tragic heroes | Romeo and Hamlet are two famous ____________. |
| Abhors | Karen ____________ people who talk during movies. She wants to be able to hear the dialogue. |
| Sonnet | Shakespeare is just as famous for the 154 ____________ that he wrote as he is for his plays. It took great skill to write these poems. |
| Boisterous | Tammy’s ____________behavior resulted in her being asked to be quiet by the teacher. |
| Iambic pentameter | “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” is an example of ____________. |
| Apothecary | The knight visited the ____________ in order to purchase medicine for the sick squire. |
| Malevolent | When we moved into the old house |
| Tragic flaw | The main character’s ____________was his greed. It destroyed him. |
| Couplet | “True wit is nature to advantage dress’d;/ What oft was thought |
| Sarcastic | Bob’s ____________ remarks infuriated his girlfriend. She felt that he was mocking her. |
| Chorus | The ____________ came onto the stage and foreshadowed what would happen next. |
| Shrift | Julie is very devout. She goes to ____________every week confesses her sins. |
| Flippant | Brenda was being ____________ when she made that comment; unfortunately |
| Aside | Often in plays |
| Stage directions | The ____________indicated that the girl should enter from stage right. |
| Tragedy | I would like to see a comedy tonight. I’m not in the mood for a ____________; that would just make me cry. |
| Monologue | Billy was excited to be cast as Mercutio. He could envision himself standing with the other characters onstage as he delivered the famous Queen Mab ____________. |
| indignant | 25) Sam was ___ when he was accused of destroying school property. He was innocent! |
| bitter | 27) I felt ___ about losing to him. He didn’t work nearly as hard as I did. |
| hostile | 30) The explorer hoped that the natives would be friendly, not _____. |
| sentimental | 33) Since Sally is ____, she saves all the letters her boyfriend sends her. |
| metaphor | comparison that does not use like or as |
| how the story makes the reader feel | mood |
| the author's attitude | tone |
| repetition of vowel sounds | assonance |
| main point of the story; an idea seen throughout the story | theme |
| a play on words | pun |
| a two-word contradiction | oxymoron |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| soliloquy | speech a character gives alone on stage |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| Aside | a short speech heard by audience but not characters in the play |
| iambic pentameter | a meter in poetry consisting of five unrhymed lines-stressed and unstressed syllables |
| tragedy | a drama ending in catastrophe |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| monologue | a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter |
| FICKLE | CHANGEABLE |
| VERSE | THE OPPOSITE OF PROSE; POETRY |
| PARADOX | A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTRADICTORY BUT ACTUALLY PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. | PARADOX |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | LACKING SERIOUS INTENT; NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SHOWING OR EXPRESSING CONTEMPT OR DISDAIN |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING |
| ADVERSARY | A FOE, AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAIN A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| ADVERSARY | HIS __ CHASED HIM DOWN THE STREET. |
| CHASTE | ROSALINE HAS SWORN TO LIVE __ AND PURE. |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | THE __ AND SCORNFUL CHILD WAS PUNISHED. |
| OBJECTIVE | ZEUS COULD NOT MAKE AN __ AND IMPARTIAL DECISION ABOUT THE GOLDEN APPLE. |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| PORTENTOUS | THE THUNDER WAS A __ SIGN THAT SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN. |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING; FORESHADOWING |
| Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious. | FICKLE |
| A speech given by a character who is alone on stage | SOLILOQUY |
| When a character onstage speaks to the audience and not the other characters | ASIDE |
| A long speech given by a single character | SOLILOQUY |
| Instructions for staging a play; not read aloud | STAGE DIRECTIONS |
| Two consecutive lines that rhyme | COUPLET |
| Literature meant to be performed onstage | DRAMA |
| A play in which the main character suffers a downfall | TRAGEDY |
| The main character in a tragedy; he suffers a downfall due to a tragic flaw. | TRAGIC HERO |
| The flaw in the main character that brings about his/her downfall | TRAGIC FLAW |
| To humiliate or disgrace | ABASE |
| To hate or detest | ABHOR |
| The group of people who come onstage to summarize what has happened and what will happen at the beginning or end of an act | CHORUS |
| Having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious. | MALEVOLENT |
| Contemptuous or ironic in manner or wit; nasty or mocking in speech | SARCASTIC |
| Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; Irreverent | FLIPPANT |
| unprejudiced; unbiased | IMPARTIAL |
| Someone who prepares and sells medicines | APOTHECARY |
| A fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter | SONNET |
| Lines of poetry consisting of five iambic feet ( an unstressed then a stressed syllable);there will be ten syllables per line | IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| A poet; often a singer | BARD |
| Loud and full of energy | BOISTEROUS |
| Billy was excited to be cast as Mercutio. He could envision himself standing with the other characters onstage as he delivered the famous Queen Mab __. | MONOLOGUE |
| SHAKESPEARE IS THE __ OF AVON. | BARD |
| SONNETS ARE WRITTEN IN | IAMBIC PENTAMETER |
| SHAKESPEARE WROTE 154 OF THESE 14-LINE POEMS. | SONNETS |
| THE __ PREPARED MEDICINE FOR THE SICK CHILD. | APOTHECARY |
| IT WAS HARD TO BE __ WHEN ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS WAS HIS DAUGHTER. | IMPARTIAL |
| BOB'S ___ COMMENTS HURT ABBY'S FEELINGS. WHY WAS HE SO MOCKING? | SARCASTIC |
| BEING ___ AND MAKING JOKES WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SERIOUS CAN GET YOU IN TROUBLE. | FLIPPANT |
| THE ___ SPIRITS FRIGHTENED THE CHILDREN. | MALEVOLENT |
| THE __ CAME ONSTAGE AND SUMMARIZED THE PREVIOUS EVENTS. | CHORUS |
| YOUR BAD BEHAVIOR IN CLASS DOES NOTHING BUT __ YOURSELF. | ABASE |
| I ____ VEGETABLE SOUP. IT IS DISGUSTING. | ABHOR |
| TONY FORGOT ALL ABOUT JENNY WHEN HE SAW SANDY. HE'S SUCH A __ BOY. | FICKLE |
| Anecdote | Short story about a funny event |
| Archetype | A recurring pattern |
| Ballad | A poem about someone from the past; often set to music |
| Cliché | Overused word or phrase |
| Dialogue | Conversation carried on by two or more characters |
| Fiction | Literature that comes from the imagination |
| Symbol | Something that stands for something else |
| Free verse | Poetry written without any set rhyme or meter |
| Lyric poem | Short poetry; generally has only one speaker; often about an emotion |
| Cynical | Adj. Skeptical |
| Apathetic | Adj. Indifferent; showing a lack of concern |
| Defiant | Adj. Disobedient |
| Querelous | Adj. habitually complaining |
| Subtle | Adj. difficult to detect |
| Ostentatious | Adj. intended to attract notice |
| Witty | Adj. Funny and clever |
| Diplomatic | Adj. Tactful; skilled in dealing with others; sensitive; knowing the right thing to say |
| Pensive | Adj. Thoughtful; worried |
| Pensive | I could tell from mom’s ____________ expression that something was bothering her. |
| Cynical | Bob is such a ____________ man; he always expects the worst from everyone. |
| Anecdote | The guest speaker told an amusing ____________ at the beginning of his speech. |
| Ostentatious | Lord Capulet’s party was an ____________ affair that was given to impress the other nobles from Verona. |
| Lyric poem | The most common type of poem is the ____________. We will read several of these short poems. |
| Archetypes | The damsel in distress |
| Diplomatic | The politician was skilled in giving ____________ answers. His comments were always appropriate. |
| Ballad | “Tom Dooley” is a ____________ about a North Carolina man who was hanged for killing his girlfriend. |
| Witty | The ____________ comedian made the audience laugh. |
| Querulous | Steven |
| Subtle | Tammy did not detect the____________insults in Amanda’s speech. |
| Dialogue | I was amused by the ____________ between the two characters in the play. |
| Dialogue | The ____________ child refused to eat her peas. |
| Clichés | “You’re barking up the wrong tree” and “I slept like a log” are examples of ____________. |
| Apathetic | The ____________ student never studied. He didn’t care if he didn’t graduate. |
| Fiction | Short stories and novels are examples of ____________. |
| Free verse | The poem didn’t rhyme |
| Symbol | The dove is often used as a ____________ for peace. |
| serene | calm |
| intrepid | fearless |
| personification | The mountains called to the explorer in me. |
| oxymoron | pretty ugly |
| pun | a play on words |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| epic | a long narrative poems about an almost super-human hero; contains a journey |
| sarcastic | mocking |
| flippant | being irreverent; being funny when one should be serious |
| empathetic | understanding how others feel |
| cherish | to hold dear |
| dialogue | conversation between 2 or more characters |
| taunting | Sidney removed from the game because she was __ the other team. She shouldn't have jeered at them like that. |
| apothecary | one who makes and sells medicine |
| grave | serious; dangerous |
| amicable | friendly |
| tone | the author's attitude toward the subject of the work |
| metaphor | a comparison that does not use like or as |
| imagery | descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader |
| oxymoron | phrase or expression that is seemingly contradictory |
| simile | making comparisons between two subjects using like or as |
| metaphor | one thing is spoken of as if it were something else |
| personification | a non-human subject is given human traits |
| alliteration | repetition of first sound (Peter Piper picked) - repeated at least two times |
| Assonance | rhyming or harmony of vowels |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words or sounds to imitate sound effects |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables |
| VERSE | THE OPPOSITE OF PROSE; POETRY |
| PARADOX | A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE CONTRADICTORY BUT ACTUALLY PRESENTS A TRUTH |
| PARADOX | THEY HAVE EARS BUT HEAR NOT. |
| ALLUSION | A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE WORK; USUALLY MYTHICAL, BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL |
| FOIL | A CHARACTER WHO HELPS EMPHASIZE THE TRAITS OF ANOTHER CHARACTER THROUGH CONTRAST |
| SYMPATHETIC | COMPREHENDING THE NEEDS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERS |
| FACETIOUS | LACKING SERIOUS INTENT; NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY |
| OBJECTIVE | NOT INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL FEELINGS; BASED ON FACTS |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | SHOWING OR EXPRESSING CONTEMPT OR DISDAIN |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING |
| ADVERSARY | A FOE, AN ENEMY |
| CHASTE | DECENT; PURE |
| CONNOTATION | THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH A WORD |
| DENOTATION | DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A WORD |
| PARALLELISM | REPETITION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE |
| PROSE | OPPOSITE OF POETRY; WRITING IN SENTENCES |
| IMAGERY | WORD THAT PAINT A PICTURE AND RECREATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE |
| ADVERSARY | HIS __ CHASED HIM DOWN THE STREET. |
| CHASTE | ROSALINE HAS SWORN TO LIVE __ AND PURE. |
| CONTEMPTUOUS | THE __ AND SCORNFUL CHILD WAS PUNISHED. |
| OBJECTIVE | ZEUS COULD NOT MAKE AN __ AND IMPARTIAL DECISION ABOUT THE GOLDEN APPLE. |
| PARADOX | LOVE IS GENTLE AND ROUGH. |
| OXYMORON | SERIOUS VANITY; COLD FIRE |
| PORTENTOUS | THE THUNDER WAS A __ SIGN THAT SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN. |
| PORTENTOUS | FOREBODING; FORESHADOWING |
| INNUENDO | TIRED OF HER VEILED __, BOB CONFRONTED TRACY ABOUT HER PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE HINTS. |
| DECADENCE | DECAY, DECLINE |
| PREROGATIVE | PRIVILEGE |
| INTERCEDE | TO PLEAD ON SOMEONE'S BEHALF |
| VICARIOUS | FELT OR UNDERGONE AS IF ONE WERE TAKING PART IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ANOTHER |
| VICARIOUSLY | JOHN LIVED ____(LY) THROUGH THE ACTION MOVIES HE WATCHED. |
| MANDATE | AN AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND |
| MANDATED | IT WAS ___(ED) THAT BOB DO FORTY HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. |
| ALTRUISM | SELFLESSNESS; UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS |
| ALTRUISM | THE WEALTHY MAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ____; HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. |
| LACKADAISICAL | LACKING ENERGY |
| LACKADAISICAL | THE ____ YOUNG MAN WAS TOO LAZY TO GET HIS OWN SODA. |
| INEPT | CLUMSY |
| INEPT | THE ___ REFEREE KEPT GETTING IN THE FORWARD'S WAY. |
| FINESSE | SKILLFUL; TACTFUL, REFINEMENT AND DELICACY OF PERFORMANCE |
| FINESSE | ERIC STAAL'S ___ ON THE ICE MAKES HIM A LEADING GOAL-SCORER. |
| TENACIOUS | PERSISTANT |
| TENACIOUS | THE ____ MAN WOULD NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. |
| ENIGMA | A RIDDLE |
| ENIGMA | THE STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE SKY COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED; THEY WOULD REMAIN AN ______. |
| ARCHAIC | OUTDATED |
| ARCHAIC | THEY FOUND _____ REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT CIVILZATION AS THEY WERE EXCAVATING THAT PLOT OF LAND. |
| SACROSANCT | REGARDED AS SACRED |
| SACROSANCT | THE TEMPLE WAS ____ TO THE FOLLOWERS OF THAT RELIGION. |
| NEBULOUS | VAGUE; CLOUDY |
| NEBULOUS | WE FOUND HER DIRECTIONS TO BE SO ____ THAT NO ONE WAS SURE OF WHAT TO DO. |
| LOQUACIOUS | THE _____ GIRL WOULDN'T STOP TALKING! |
| LOQUACIOUS | VERY TALKATIVE |
| SYNECDOCHE | A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH A PART STANDS FOR THE WHOLE |
| SYNECDOCHE | HE ASKED FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE. |
| UTOPIA | AN IDEALLY PERFECT PLACE |
| UTOPIA | MY ____ IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS HAPPY AND CONTENT. |
| DYSTOPIA | A PLACE IN WHICH THE CONDITIONS ARE EXTREMELY BAD |
| DYSTOPIA | WHILE MARX'S IDEAS SOUNDED GOOD, THEY FORMED A ______ IN WHICH MANY PEOPLE WERE DEPRIVED OF BASIC NECESSITIES AND HAPPINESS. |
| ante | before |
| anti | against |
| bi | two |
| circum | around |
| com | together |
| con | together |
| de | down |
| dis | away |
| equi | equal |
| extra | beyond |
| inter | between |
| intra | within |
| intro | into |
| mal | bad |
| mis | bad |
| non | not |
| post | after |
| pre | before |
| semi | half |
| sub | under |
| super | over |
| syn | together |
| sym | together |
| tri | three |
| un | not |
| archy | government |
| ard | always |
| cide | kill |
| ician | specialist |
| itis | inflammation |
| aqua | water |
| audi | hear |
| bell | war |
| cap | take |
| cise | cut |
| bio | life |
| auto | self |
| port | carry |
| scrib | write |
| logy | science |
| dict | say |
| cred | believe |
| cent | one hundred |
| neo | new |
| ad | to |
| cede | go |
| miss | send |
| centri | center |
| biblio | book |
| anthropo | man |
| homo | same |
| spec | look |
| duct | lead |
| fer | carry |
| pend | hang |
| micro | small |
| hydro | water |
| photo | light |
| pan | all |
| penta | five |
| tele | far |
| vid | look |
| omni | all |
| ex | out |
| poly | many |
| re | again |
| hypo | under |
| psuedo | FALSE |
| neuro | nerve |
| tomy | cut |
| hema | blood |
| proto | first |
| phon | sound |
| mono | one |
| viv | life |
| morph | shape |
| vest | clothes |
| bene | good |
| pond | weight |
| corp | body |
| dorm | sleep |
| pater | father |
| nov | new |
| punct | point |
| ject | throw |
| tion | act or state |
| loco | place |
| dox | opinion |
| amphi | both |
| magn | great |
| eu | good |
| endo | within |
| phobia | fear |
| ortho | straight |
| put | think |
| ver | TRUE |
| matri | mother |
| mega | large |
| pop | people |
| sangui | blood |
| vita | life |
| demo | people |
| stereo | solid |
| ism | doctrine |
| cogn | know |
| sur | over |
| alter | other |
| astr | star |
| dyna | power |
| chron | time |
| hyper | over |
| luna | moon |
| octa | eight |
| gyro | turn |
| contra | against |
| geo | earth |
| helio | sun |
| thermo | heat |
| tetra | four |
| meter | measure |
| scope | look |
| son | sound |
| dec | ten |
| stell | star |
| amat | love |
| germ | vital or related |
| greg | group |
| mar | sea |
| prim | first |
| pyro | fire |
| clam | cry out |
| plu | more |
| tang | touch |
| string | bind |
| liber | free |
| junct | join |
| clud | close |
| se | apart |
| trib | pay |
| dign | worthy |
| luc | light |
| rupt | break |
| grat | pleasing |
| medi | middle |
| soph | wisdom |
| curr | run |
| tempor | time |
| migr | wander |
| trans | across |
| gamy | marriage |
| numer | number |
| fort | strong |
| osteo | bone |
| ornith | bird |
| polis | city |
| fus | pour |
| ego | I |
| spir | breath |
| dia | across |
| acr | sharp |
| acro | high |
| culp | blame |
| derm | skin |
| zo (or zoa) | animal |
| per | through |
| pac | peace |
| brev | short |
| necro | death |
| urb | city |
| pugn | fight |
| ecto | outer |
| plasto | molded |
| agog | leader |
| cle | small |
| il | not |
| sed | sit |
| leg | read |
| anim | mind |
| tort | twist |
| nym | name |
| sanct | holy |
| meta | city |
| petr | rock |
| mir | wonder |
| man | hand |
| rect | right |
| volv | roll |
| demi | half |
| retro | backward |
| sens | feel |
| fy | make |
| ocul | eye |
| cur | care for |
| ultra | beyond |
| oid | appearance |
| gest | carry |
| apt | fit |
| tact | touch |
| voc | voice |
| rid | laugh |
| path | feeling |
| a | not |
| nomy | law |
| fid | faith |
| caco | bad |
| hetero | different |
| sci | know |
| graph | write |
| lat | side |
| lith | rock |
| tract | pull |
| in | in or not |
| co | together |
| phile | love |
| ine | nature |
| ar | relating to |
| hexa | six |
| fract | break |
| platy | flat |
| theo | god |
| fin | end |
| hedron | sided object |
| ambul | walk |
| ous | full of |
| topo | place |
| ped | foot or child |
| mort | death |
| carn | flesh |
| phsych | soul |
| ethno | race or culture |
| gen | origin |
| nat | born |
| paleo | old |
| curs | run |
| crypt | hidden |
| cad | fall |
| capit | head |
| loqu | talk |
| sacro | holy |
| uni | one |
| ness | quality |
| alt | high |
| ics | art |
| iso | equal |
| vert | turn |
| ate | cause |
| cor | heart |
| ess | female |
| muta | change |
| fug | flee |
| i | plural |
| jus | law |
| lum | light |
| ann | year |
| apo | away or up |
| sen | old |
| sol | alone |
| bas | low |
| rogat | ask |
| parl | speak |
| potent | power |
| surg | rise |
| log | word or reason |
| gram | writing |
| cant | sing |
| reg | rule |
| pro | forward |
| gyn | woman |
| ag | to do |
| act | to do |
| mob | move |
| sess | sit |
| fic | make |
| nounce | tell |
| andro | man |
| an- | without |
| ab | away |
| mel | song |
| aden | gland |
| aer | air |
| alb | white |
| ase | enzyme |
| epi | on |
| hum | earth |
| be | life |
| bon | good |
| struct | build |
| chlor | green |
| cyan | blue |
| cyt | cell |
| diplo | double |
| dys | bad |
| eco | house |
| emia | blood |
| enter | intestine |
| erythro | red |
| idio | peculiar |
| exo | out |
| im | not |
| fil | thread |
| chrom | color |
| form | shape |
| sequ | follow |
| glyc | sweet |
| hemo | blood |
| ultima | last |
| infra | beneath |
| leuko | white |
| lys | break down |
| meso | middle |
| milli | thousandth |
| mem | remember |
| gress | step |
| labor | work |
| myo | muscle |
| vac | empty |
| oligo | few or small |
| ose | sugar |
| osis | condition |
| tude | state of |
| patho | disease |
| phag | eat |
| phor | carry |
| phyt | plant |
| phyll | leaf |
| pleo | more |
| pod | feet |
| soror | sister |
| (-) a | plural |
| val | worth |
| para | beside, near |
| dom | rule |
| erg | work |
| rhiz | root |
| sapro | rotten |
| schizo | divide |
| hippo | horse |
| som | body |
| spor | seed |
| sta | stop |
| rhodo | rose |
| taxis | arrangement |
| vol | will |
| frat | brother |
| trich | hair |
| troph | nourishment |
| tox | poison |
| sect | cut |
| zygo | yolk |
| zym | ferment |
| tropo | turn |
| gastro | stomach |
| arthro | joint |
| ventri | belly |
| dors | back |
| macro | large |
| dextro | right or clockwise |
| brachy | short |
| brachio | arm |
| branchio | gills |
| kin | motion |
| phylo | kind |
| blasto | embryo |
| dactylo | finger |
| phos | light |
| gon | angle |
| lite | mineral or fossil |
| vore | eating |
| holo | whole |
| haplo | single or simple |
| opia | sight |
| lent | full of |
| ef | out |
| ium | an element |
| dicho | in two pairs |
| Anglo | English |
| ist | one who |
| saur | lizard |
| pithec | ape |
| calli | beautiful |
| austro | south |
| cephalo | head |
| chiro | hand |
| caust | burn |
| terr | land |
| cata | down |
| jur | swear |
| flu | flow |
| here | stick |
| pos | put |
| mund | world |
| cracy | government |
| mania | madness |
| ize | make |
| antho | flower |
| algia | pain |
| somn | sleep |
| quadr | four |
| err | wander |
| sine | without |
| lingu | tongue |
| mot | move |
| nav | ship |
| und | wave |
| flect | bend |
| coron | crown |
| aur | gold |
| liter | letter |
| rat | think |
| sis | condition |
| par | equal |
| mens | measure |
| mony | condition |
| quin | five |
| socio | society |
| ovi | egg |
| phasia | speech |
| pter | wing |
| phen | appearance |
| hist | tissue |
| glott | tongue |
| phan | appearance |
| peri | near or around |
| pot | drink |
| via | road |
| atmo | vapor |
| cardio | heart |
| cosmo | world or universe |
| counter | against |
| cranio | skull |
| cyclo | circle |
| gno | know |
| oss | bone |
| xylo | wood |
| monger | seller |
| sept | seven |
| xeno | stranger |
| vas | vessel |
| fore | front |
| ish | like |
| less | without |
| baro | pressure |
| ferro | iron |
| quasi | somewhat |
| nesia | island |
| lepsy | attack |
| let | little |
| nano | billionth |
| pico | trillionth |
| ideo | idea |
| ven | come |
| icthy | fish |
| pulse | drive |
| calor | heat |
| sol | sun |
| strat | layer |
| nuc | center |
| sat | enough |
| protero | early |
| mont | mountain |
| kilo | thousand |
| myria | many |
| tachy | quick |
| fiss | split |
| cumu | heaped |
| meteor | high |
| hibern | winter |
| di | two |
| bath | deep |
| cirr | hair |
| grav | heavy |
| solv | loosen |
| opthal | eye |
| oma | tumor |
| rub | red |
| ante | before |
| anti | against |
| bi | two |
| circum | around |
| com | together |
| con | together |
| de | down |
| dis | away |
| equi | equal |
| extra | beyond |
| inter | between |
| intra | within |
| intro | into |
| mal | bad |
| mis | bad |
| non | not |
| post | after |
| pre | before |
| semi | half |
| sub | under |
| super | over |
| syn | together |
| sym | together |
| tri | three |
| un | not |
| ante | before |
| anti | against |
| bi | two |
| circum | around |
| com | together |
| con | together |
| de | down |
| dis | away |
| equi | equal |
| extra | beyond |
| inter | between |
| intra | within |
| intro | into |
| mal | bad |
| un | not |
| melancholy | sadness or depression; gloom |
| epic | a long, narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman hero |
| antagonist | the character who opposes the main character |
| protagonist | the main character in a story; drives the plot forward |
| epithet | a descriptive phrase that renames a character |
| somber | solemn; grave |
| malevolent | evil |
| benevolent | charitable, kind, helpful |
| simile | comparison using like or as |
| metaphor | comparison that doesn't use like or as |
| placid | calm; relaxed |
| hyperbole | extreme exaggeration |
| epic hero | an almost superhuman character who represents his culture; goes on a journey or quest |
| detached | not emotionally connected |
| archy | government |
| ard | always |
| cide | kill |
| ician | specialist |
| itis | infection |
| aqua | water |
| audi | hear |
| bell | war |
| cap | take |
| cise | cut |
| bio | life |
| auto | self |
| port | carry |
| scrib | write |
| logy | science |
| dict | say |
| cred | believe |
| cent | one hundred |
| neo | new |
| ad | to |
| cede | go |
| miss | send |
| centri | center |
| biblio | book |
| anthropo | man |
| archy | government |
| ard | always |
| cide | kill |
| ician | specialist |
| itis | infection |
| aqua | water |
| audi | hear |
| bell | war |
| cap | take |
| cise | cut |
| bio | life |
| auto | self |
| pleo | more |
| pod | foot |
| soror | sister |
| -a | plural |
| val | worth |
| para | beside, near |
| dom | rule |
| erg | work |
| rhiz | root |
| sapro | rotten |
| schizo | divide |
| hippo | horse |
| som | body |
| spor | seed |
| sta | stop |
| rhodo | rose |
| taxis | arrangement |
| vol | will |
| frat | brother |
| trich | hair |
| troph | nourishment |
| tox | poison |
| sect | cut |
| zygo | yoke |
| zym | ferment |
| mal | bad |
| post | after |
| port | carry |
| dict | say |
| omni | all |
| lith | rock |
| bene | good |
| cred | believe |
| neo | new |
| uni | one |
| non | not |
| archy | government |
| inter | between |
| vid | look |
| mono | one |
| pond | weight |
| in | not |
| sci | know |
| phyte | plant |
| lat | side |
| malapropism | ludicrous misuse of a word |
| nonplussed | perplexed |
| postlude | concluding section |
| hierarchy | ranking |
| portly | stout |
| interdicition | prohibition |
| vide | see |
| omnibus | covering many things |
| monolithic | massive and uniform |
| imponderable | difficult to ponder |
| benediction | blessing |
| incredulous | not believing |
| omniscient | all-knowing |
| neophyte | beginner |
| unilateral | one-sided |
| neophyte | The __ made several mistakes on his first day at work. |
| omniscient | I am not ___; I don't know everything. |
| incredulous | Tom's mother was __ when she was told he was getting married in a week. She couldn't believe it! |
| omnibus | The ___ of stories covered lliterature from several countries. |
| interdiction | My parents _____ meant that we would not be allowed to go camping this weekend. |
| vide | _______ the rules for the game before you try to play. |
| benediction | Dad was asked to deliver the ___ before the service began. |
| portly | The ___ gentleman was tired by his walk to the store. |
| imponderable | It is ____ to me that anyone would spend so much money on a pair of shoes. |
| unilateral | Mom made a ____ decision to order pizza for dinner. No one else got to offer an opinion. |
| hierarchy | Brenda was a lowly employee in the company's ____. |
| nonplussed | Angela was ____ my Allen's rudeness. He had been so friendly earlier in the day. |
| abbreviation | shortened form of a word |
| action verb | a word that shows action |
| adjective | describes a noun or a pronoun |
| adverb | describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb |
| anecdote | a short story about someone |
| antonyms | opposite words |
| apostrophe | shows where a letter or letters are missing |
| character | a person, animal, or creature in a story |
| compound word | formed from two or more words |
| compound predicate | two or more verbs that have the same subject |
| compound sentence | two or more simple sentences joined by a conjunction |
| compound subject | two or more simple subjects with the same predicate |
| conjunction | a word that joins other words |
| context clue | helps a reader find the meaning of an unkown word |
| contraction | a shortened form of two words |
| direct object | receives the action of the verb |
| exaggeration | stretching of the truth |
| exclamatory sentence | expresses strong feeling |
| fact | true information that can be checked |
| future tense | shows an action that will happen in the future |
| haiku | a Japanese verse form |
| helping verb | works with the main verb |
| homograph | words spelled the same, but have different meanings |
| homophones | words that sound alike, but have different spellings and meanings |
| imperative sentence | gives a command or makes a request |
| interjection | expresses strong feeling or emotion |
| irregular verb | does not form the past or past participle by adding ed |
| linking verb | connects the subject and the predicate |
| main verb | most important word in the predicate |
| metaphor | compares two things by saying one thing is the other |
| noun | a person, a place, a thing or an idea |
| object of the preposition | noun or pronoun following a preposition |
| object pronoun | me, you, him, her, it, us, and them |
| paragraph | a group of sentences that tell about one main idea |
| part of speech | tells how a word is used in a sentence |
| past tense | shows action that already happened |
| plot | series of events in a story itne order in which they happen |
| plural noun | more than one person, place, or thing |
| possessive noun | shows ownership |
| posseive pronoun | my, your, his, her, its, our, and their |
| predicate adjective | follows a linking verb and describes the subject |
| prefix | word part added to the beginning of a word |
| preposition | relates the noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence |
| prepositional phrase | a prepositon, its object, and any words that come between them |
| pronoun | a word that takes the place of a noun |
| proper noun | names a particular person, place, or thing |
| numer | number |
| fort | strong |
| osteo | bone |
| ornith | bird |
| polis | city |
| fus | pour |
| ego | I |
| spir | breathe |
| dia | across |
| acr | sharp |
| acro | high |
| culp | blame |
| derm | skin |
| zo | animal |
| per | thought |
| pac | peace |
| brev | short |
| necro | death |
| urb | city |
| pugn | fight |
| ecto | outer |
| plasto | molded |
| agog | leader |
| cle | small |
| il | not |
| alliteration | repetition of an initial consonant sound |
| personification | giving life to inanimate objects |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like what they mean |
| apostrophe | a direct address to a person or thing as if it were alive and present |
| simile | comparing two dissimilar objects using like or as |
| metaphor | an implied comparison between two dissimilar things whereby one object becomes the other |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration |
| irony | when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected |
| oxymoron | a contradiction of terms |
| synedoche | part for the whole |
| Synonyms | Words that are similar in meaning |
| Antonyms | Words that are opposite or nearly opposite in meaning. |
| Homophones | Words with the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings |
| Alliteration | Repeating the beginning sounds of words |
| Slang | Informal words added to our language |
| Simile | Comparing two different things using the words “like” or “as”. |
| Metaphor | Comparing words or ideas in a figurative way. |
| Hyperbole | An exaggerated statement |
| Idiom | A saying that does not mean the same as the individual words. |
| Oxymoron | Using word together that have opposite or very different meanings |
| Homograph | Words with the same spelling but different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. |
| Acronym | Abbreviations using the first letters of words. |
| Personification | Attaching human qualities to animals, ideas, or things. |
| Synonyms | Fight, quarrel, argument, squabble, altercation, beef, feud, brawl, fray, scuffle |
| Antonyms | Hot/cold, night/day, warm/chilly, boisterous/placid |
| Homophones | Night, Knight; Rode, road, rowed |
| Alliteration | Repeating the beginning sounds of words |
| Slang | Chopper (helicopter), hacker (computer intruder), 24/7 (all day, everyday), iffy (not certain) |
| Simile | Ann runs like a deer. The cookie was hard as a rock. |
| Metaphor | Josh is a walking encyclopedia. The tennis court was a griddle. |
| Hyperbole | Tommy ate a ton of pizza. It took me a million years to clean my room. |
| Idiom | It’s raining cats and dogs. Now you’ll be in hot water. |
| Oxymoron | Using word together that have opposite or very different meanings. |
| Oxymoron | Mom believes in tough love.Please grab me some plastic silverware. |
| Homograph | Words with the same spelling but different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. |
| Homograph | The bear growled/could not bear it; a bow tie/take a bow; |
| Acronym | Abbreviations using the first letters of words. |
| Acronym | USA=United States of America, ATM=Automatic teller machine |
| Personification | Attaching human qualities to animals, ideas, or things. |
| Personification | The kite danced in the wind. My report card beamed with pride as mom looked at my straight As. |
| Synonyms | Words that are similar in meaning |
| Antonyms | Words that are opposite or nearly opposite in meaning. |
| Homophones | Words with the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings |
| Alliteration | Repeating the beginning sounds of words |
| Slang | Informal words added to our language |
| Simile | Comparing two different things using the words “like” or “as”. |
| Metaphor | Comparing words or ideas in a figurative way. |
| Hyperbole | An exaggerated statement |
| Idiom | A saying that does not mean the same as the individual words. |
| figurative language | does not mean what exactly what it says;used to add color |
| metaphor | a comparison of two unlike objects;does NOT use LIKE or AS |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike objects; USES LIKE or AS |
| hyperbole | a large exaggeration |
| personification | giving an non-human thing human qualities |
| onomatopoeia | words that sound like their meaning |
| alliteration | a series of words that begin with the same letter |
| idiom | a common expression used to mean something else |
| idiom | He let the cat out of the bag. |
| alliteration | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| literal language | means exactly what it says |
| metaphor | Your eyes are diamonds. |
| simile | Your eyes are like diamonds. |
| hyperbole | There were a thousand people at my party. |
| onomatopoeia | We watched the BLIP on the computer monitor. |
| personification | The stars reached down from the sky. |
| literal language | I like pizza. |
| figurative language | Pizza is food heaven. |
