Vocab Breakdown
To break a text down into smaller chunks to see how it works is to... what?
Analyze
The author's overall attitude toward their topic, characters, or audience is called their... what?
Tone
A comparison of two unlike things using the words "like" or "as" is a...
what?
Simile
Repeating the exact same beginning consonant sound in words close
together (like "Peter Piper") is... what?
Alliteration
Read this line: "The city’s budget deficit was a
ticking time bomb." Based on standard 8.RI.4,
what type of language is "a ticking time bomb"
here?
Figurative language / Metaphor (used to
show extreme danger and urgency, not a
real bomb).
The written breakdown or close look at a text's structure and meaning is called an... what?
Analysis
The overall feeling or vibe that the reader gets from a story or setting is called the... what?
Mood
A direct comparison calling one thing another without using "like"
or "as" is a... what?
metaphor
Words that share the same ending sound to create a musical effect
in poetry are a... what?
Rhyme
In Maya Angelou’s "Still I Rise", the speaker
writes: "You may trod me in the very dirt / But still,
like dust, I'll rise." What is the connotative
impact of the word "dust"?
Dust feels worthless or easily stepped
on, but it is also uncontainable,
inescapable, and fills the air no matter
how much you try to clear it away.
When an author intentionally picks specific words to create a reaction, it's called word... what?
Choice
Language that means the exact, strict dictionary definition with no hidden meaning is called... what?
Literal
A massive exaggeration used to make a point or add drama that isn't
meant to be taken seriously is a... what?
Hyperbole
Saying the exact same phrase multiple times in a poem to
emphasize a major theme is using repeated... what?
Lines
A state test question asks: "How does the author's
choice of the word 'bitter' impact the tone?" How
should you answer?
It creates a harsh, resentful, or hostile
tone, showing deep negativity or painful
experiences caused by others.
What word, phrase, or sentence is actually trying to communicate or express is its...what?
Meaning
Language that means something different from the dictionary definition and requires reading between the lines is... what?
Nonliteral
Giving human traits, feelings, or actions to non-human objects or
animals is... what?
Personification
Vivid, descriptive language that appeals to the five senses to paint a
mental picture is called... what?
Imagery
Why is it critical not to choose a literal definition
when a test question asks what a phrase means
"as it is used in the text"?
Because the test is checking if you
understand figurative or connotative
meaning—how words create a deeper
emotional impact beyond their
dictionary definition.
To figure out or conclude the exact meaning of something based on text hints is to... what?
Determine
The emotional baggage, vibe, or extra feeling (positive or negative) attached to a word is its... what?
Connotation
A common phrase where you cannot understand the meaning just
by looking at the literal words (like "piece of cake") is an... what?
Idiom
In the POEM acronym used for analyzing poetry, what does the letter
M stand for at the very end?
Meaning and Message
If a state test poem uses dark, freezing, and
isolating sensory words, which step of the POEM
acronym helps you track how that affects the
mood, and what should you look for?
The E step (Examine the Language) or O
(Overread), looking closely at sensory
words that build a gloomy atmosphere.