| A | B |
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| elements of fiction | plot, characters, setting, theme, irony, point of view |
| plot | series of related events, sequence of events, links in the chain of events, parts of the story |
| plot diagram | graphic display of those major events |
| conflict | struggle of two opposing forces, the problem |
| external conflict | visible, man v. man, man v. God (nature), man v. society, (woman=man) |
| internal conflict | invisible, "man vs. himself" Struggle to resolve a personal problem, guilt etc. |
| setting | time and place of the story |
| exposition | (basic situation) introduction of characters, their conflicts, and the setting |
| rising action | a series of complications, problems/obstacles in the way |
| complications | small problems on the way to the big problem |
| crisis=turning point | moment when plot direction changes to comedy or tragedy |
| climax | highly charged moment when suspense is greatest, emotional high point, turning point |
| failing action | resulting events |
| resolution | final section and explanation |
| denouement | "unraveling the knot" |
| foreshadow-foreshadowing | giving clues about future events, builds suspense |
| foreboding | feeling that something bad is going to happen |
| suspense | nervous feeling/uncertainty about what's going to happen, excitement, sense of danger |
| flashback | 113 go back in time for a short part of a story |
| tone | writer's attitude toward his/her subject, character, or audience. (NOT mood) |
| mood | how the reader feels or reacts to the story(may be different from tone) |
| atmosphere | over arching situation and how readers feel about the situation. (war, recent death) |
| theme | central idea of the work, comment about human nature |
| moral | lesson/message in the story |
| major topic | the big, important ideas (themes) in a story |
| topic sentence | most important sentence in a paragraph. Tells what the paragraph is about |
| thesis statement | one/two sentence summary of your main points |
| dialogue=dialog | two people talking |
| characters | people and animals in the story |
| characterize | v. describe the character |
| character profile | explain a character through various descriptions |
| direct characterization | (description) author tells the reader all about the character |
| indirect characterization | writer allows us to learn about a character through his/her actions, private thoughts, words, and how other characters feel about them |
| protagonist | character who drives the action (good guy) |
| antagonist | character that provides an obstacle (trouble) for the lead character |
| comic relief | putting in comical characters to lighten the serious mood |
| stereotype | a common, stock character without much depth |
| motive-motivation | reason for doing something, need or drive that leads a character to act |
| figures of speech | word or phrase that describes a thing in terms very different terms |
| simile | comparison, using "like" or "as" |
| metaphor | comparison of two unlike things w/o "like" or "as" |
| onomatopoeia | using words that sound like what they mean, suggests meaning, "bow-wow, chug" |
| alliteration | repetition of same consonant sounds. "Clickety clack" |
| euphemism | substituting a nice word to avoid the unpleasant |
| assonance | repeated vowel sounds (v. alliteration) |
| repetition | repeating sounds-includes assonance, alliteration, and refrains |
| personification-personify | writer treats non-human like humans..nonperson like a person |
| hyperbole | exaggeration, to express emotion, or for comic effort |
| allusion | reference to other literature |
| paradox | apparent contradiction, actually true |
| irony | (3 types) contrast between expectations and reality,...ending differently from expectations |
| verbal irony | contrast between what the writer says and what he/she really means sarcasm |
| dramatic irony | feeling resulting when the audience knows more than the characters |
| situational irony-ironic situation | story/incident turns out different from expectations |
| point of view | "who's telling the story?" |
| first-person | (point of view) (POV) "I woke up. I went to school.." |
| third-person limited | (point of view) focus on one character, with limited view of others |
| omniscient | knows all (the narrator or writer) |
| narrator | person who tells the story (the narrative or narration) |
| implication | suggested idea |
| implied metaphor | speaking indirectly-not actually stated, the reader has to interpret writer's intent |
| inferences | educated guesses as to meaning or outcome |
| biography | "life-writing", story of person's life |
| autobiography | written story of the writer's life |
| monologue | one person talking (presenting) |
| allegory | has two levels of meaning, literal and symbolic, symbols of greater scope |
| analogy | extended comparison of relationships of one pair, like another pair |
| argument | form of persuasion using logical reasoning |
| narrative writing | telling a story (over a period of time) |
| descriptive writing | uses sensory details, vivid verbs, precise nouns |
| persuasive writing | leads readers to act in a certain way |
| nonfiction narrative | news reports, biographies, histories |
| expository writing | factual writing that gives information |
| introduction | beginning of essay-gets attention, includes thesis |
| body | most supportive information |
| conclusion | add a final thought to explanation of thesis |
| dramatic monologue | poem in which character speaks to listener |
| tragedy | narrative about serious actions that end unhappily |
| comedy | story or play with a happy ending |
| satire | use pictures or words to mock weakness in other people |
| parody | humorous imitation of another work, or character |
| reflection | look at your experience and consider your feelings |
| anecdote | a person's personal story, brief story, told to make a point |
| parable | short, simple story with moral or religious lesson |
| cautionary tale | story meant to show danger of actions and consequences |
| epic | long, narrative poems that retell the adventures of a hero figure |
| myth | a story that uses fantasy to express ideas |
| homeric=heroic similes | extended comparisons "this situation is similar.." |
| epithet | adjective or phrase used to characterize, i.e. "Kenneth the Great" |
| phrase | (v.clause) a group of related words, used as singular part of speech, does not have both verb and its subject |
| clause | (v. phrase) group of words contains a verb and it's subject, used as part of a sentence |
| fact | something that can be proved to be true |
| fallacy | error in logical thinking |
| poem-poetry | lines of verse, showing emotion, using imagery, and using a few well-chose words |
| imagery-images | using words that appeal to our 5 senses, painting pictures with words |
| sensory images | descriptive words that add color, help readers hear, see, touch, etc. |
| scan=analyze | study and explain a story or poem |
| scan-scanning | analyze the poem to identify its construction and meter |
| lyric poem | expresses observations and feelings (elegy, ode sonnet) |
| prose poem | compact and rhythmic composition written like paragraphs, w/ vivid figures of speech |
| haiku | 3-line poem, has 17 syllables, (5,7,5) 5 in lines 1 & 3, and 7 in the 2nd line, uses images to present a moment of enlightenment |
| rhyme | repetition of vowel sounds, "How now, brown cow?" |
| rhyme scheme | pattern of end rhymes "a,a, b,b" |
| internal rhyme | rhymes, not at the end of the line |
| approximate rhyme | (slant rhyme) almost, not quite "How now, brown cow?" |
| rhymed couplets | tow lines w/ same last sound |
| rhythm | the pattern of stressed syllables, or beats in a line of verse |
| iambic | syllables stressed like this - ' |
| trochaic | syllables streesed like this '- |
| anapestic | syllables stressed like this --' |
| dactylic | syllables stressed like this '-- |
| meter | the rhythmical pattern of beats (rhythm) and number of beats (feet) per line |
| iambic pentameter | a line of iambic (-') verse with 5 beats, (10 syllables) |
| couplet | 2 lines of verse |
| quatrain | four lines of poetry |
| ballad stanza | rhymes story about adventure or romance (4-6 lines)...may use repetition or refrain |
| blank verse | lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter |
| free verse | poetry written in lines that imitate natural rhythms of speech |
| refrain | repeat a word, phrase, or line in the poem |
| diction | choice of words (syntax) |
| chronological order | in the real order of time |
| spatial order | describe the area (from top to bottom-right to left) |
| active voice | "I did it" |
| passive voice | "It was done" |
| prefix | word added to the beginning of a word |
| suffix | word part added on the end of a word |
| objectivity | accurate, fair, unbiased |
| subjectivity | subjective writing allows for personal feelings |
| connotation | all meanings, includes personal and emotional ideas |
| denotation | literal, dictionary meaning |
| etymology | study of origins of words/ parts (ie latin roots) |
| parenthetical citation | names of books and page numbers, show source |
| archaic | old-fashioned, out of use, refers to old-style writing ("Thou" in the Bible) |
| comma splice | sentences joined incorrectly with a comma |
| sentence fragment | not a complete sentence |
