Definitions 1
allusion
an implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar person, place, or event
Bias
The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach to a subject or topic
Biography
A written account of another person's life
Drama
The genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage, radio, or television
Author's purpose
The author's intent to either inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people or persuade or convince his/her audience to do or not do something
Dialogue
In its widest sense, dialogue is simply conversion between characters or speakers in a literary work; in its most restricted sense, it refers specifically to the speech of characters in a drama
Draw conclusion
to make a judgment or decision based on reasoning rather than direct or implicit statement
Flashback
an organizational device used in literature to present action that occurred before current(present) time of the story. Flashbacks are often introduced as the dreams or recollections of one or more characters.
Genre
a category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique or content.
Imagery
Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions
Focus
Explain
To make understandable, plain or clear.
Fact
A piece of information provided objectively, presented as true.
Figurative Language
Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.
Main Idea
The author's central thought; the chief topic of a text expressed or implied in a word or phrase; the topic sentence of a paragraph.
Motif
A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work.
Multiple-meaning words
Words that have several meanings depending upon how they are used in a sentence.
Narrative
A story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in text.
Irony
The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or usual meaning: incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the expected result.
Literary Form
The overall structure or shape of a work that frequently follows an established design. Forms may refer to a literal type (narrative, short story) or to patterns of meter, lines, and rhymes (stanza, verse).
Soliloquy
A dramatic speech, revealing inner thoughts and feelings, spoken aloud by one character while alone on the stage.
Sound Devices
Elements of literature that emphasize sound (e.g., assonance, consonance, alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia)
Tone
The attitude of the author toward the audience, characters, subject or the work itself (e.g., serious, humorous).
Universal Significance
The generally accepted importance or value of a work to represent human experience regardless of culture or time period.
Universal Character
A character that symbolically embodies well-known meanings and basic human experiences, regardless of when or where he/she lives (e.g., hero, villain, intellectual, dreamer).