General SL
"Her smile was as bright as the morning sun."
Simile; the comparison using “as” emphasizes the warmth and radiance of her smile.
What POV is this written in:
"I remember the day vividly, every sound and every smell, as if it were yesterday."
First-person; the narrator uses “I,” providing personal perspective and insight into their thoughts and feelings.
Identify the structural element in this excerpt:
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler, long I stood,
And looked down one as far as I could"
– Robert Frost
Stanza; a grouped set of lines (here, a quatrain) forming a unit of the poem.
"She clutched the letter in her hands, reading it over and over as if it held the answers to all her questions."
Props; the letter is an object that the character interacts with, revealing plot details and emphasizing her emotional state.
"I have told you a million times to clean your room!"
Hyperbole; an extreme exaggeration used to emphasize frustration.
"Her mind was a labyrinth, twisting and turning with secrets she could never share."
Metaphor; the mind is compared to a labyrinth, suggesting complexity, mystery, and hidden thoughts.
What type of 3rd POV is this written in:
"She walked into the room, glanced around, and sat down. Nobody spoke to her, and the clock ticked loudly."
Third-person objective; the narrator reports only observable actions and dialogue, without access to characters’ inner thoughts.
"I drove myself to the lake and dove into the wake."
Internal rhyme; rhyme occurs within a single line (“drove” / “dove” / “wake”), enhancing musicality.
"Lights fade to blue as the sound of distant thunder rumbles through the theater."
Technical stage directions; these cues guide lighting and sound, creating mood and supporting the action.
"She remembered the summer of her childhood, when the days seemed endless and filled with laughter, before everything changed."
Flashback; a scene set in a past time, providing context or background information about the character.
"The wind whispered secrets through the trees."
Personification; the wind is given human qualities (“whispered”), creating a mysterious or intimate mood.
What type of irony is this written in:
"The fire station burned to the ground while the firefighters were out at a call."
Situational irony; the place designed to prevent fire ironically catches fire itself.
"Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow."
External/end rhyme; the rhymes occur at the ends of lines (here, AABA). This creates musicality and cohesion in the poem.
"He slams the door and glares at the audience, shaking with rage."
Performance stage directions; these guide the actor’s movements and expressions, conveying emotion and character intentions.
How does the author present an angry tone?
"She slammed the door and muttered under her breath, feeling every ounce of frustration boil over."
conveyed through word choice (“slammed,” “muttered,” “boil over”) and the character’s actions.
"The white dove soared above the battlefield, untouched by the chaos below."
Symbolism; the white dove represents peace, hope, or innocence amid the violence of war.
"He kept glancing nervously at the locked drawer, as if expecting something to leap out at him one day."
Foreshadowing; hints that something important or dangerous is hidden in the drawer, preparing the reader for a later event.
"Sally sells seashells by the seashore."
Alliteration; repetition of initial consonant sounds (“s”), creating rhythm and emphasizing the phrase.
What is a monologue in a play?
a long speech delivered by one character to other characters on stage, used to express thoughts, feelings, or persuade others.
What is the poetic device used?
"O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory?"
Apostrophe; the speaker addresses an absent or abstract entity, giving it human qualities to emphasize emotion or theme.
"The aroma of fresh-baked bread drifted through the sunlit kitchen, warm and comforting, while the wooden floor creaked beneath her feet."
Imagery; appeals to the senses of smell (aroma), sight (sunlit kitchen), and touch (creaking floor), creating a warm, cozy, and nostalgic atmosphere.
"The house felt suffocating, the walls closing in as if they were alive, pressing her into a corner of fear and doubt."
Psychological setting; the environment reflects the character’s mental and emotional state, creating tension and mood.
"I have a dream that one day… I have a dream that my four little children… I have a dream today…" – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Anaphora; repetition of the phrase “I have a dream” at the beginning of lines, creating emphasis and a powerful rhetorical effect.
What is a soliloquy?
a speech delivered while the character is alone on stage, revealing inner thoughts and emotions to the audience.
"As the hero walks alone on stage, a soft violin melody begins, underscoring his sadness."
Technical stage directions - specifically music; used in plays to enhance mood, emphasize emotion, and support the audience’s experience.