Figures of Speech
Define Metaphor
Metaphor - an implied comparison, saying one thing is another (Ex: Time is a thief)
Define Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing - hints or clues of what will happen later
Define Character
Character – a being in a story (Ex: Juliet)
Define Mood
Mood – The feeling a reader gets from a story. It could be: sad, happy, depressing, funny, etc.
1st Person
1st Person - The perspective of the speaker or a group including the speaker (I, me)
Define Simile
Simile - a comparison using like or as (Ex: Busy as a bee)
Define Flashback
Flashback - a sudden memory of a past event or time in a story
Define Protagonist
Protagonist – the main character in a story (Ex: Harry Potter)
Define Tone
Tone - Tone is the writer’s attitude toward their subject. Some examples of tone could be: angry, friendly, compassionate, etc. Tone is different from mood in that it is the writer’s attitude—not the reader’s—toward a subject. How the reader/audience feels has nothing to do with tone.
2nd Person
2nd Person - (you, your) The perspective used to address the reader or listener directly
Define Personification
Personification – giving human characteristics to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals (Ex: My alarm clock screamed at me)
Define Symbolism
Symbolism – The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships (Ex: A clock stands for time, mortality, or the inevitability of change)
Define Antagonist
Antagonist – the character or thing who is against the main character (Ex: Darth Vader)
Define Theme
Theme – the main idea of a story
3rd Person Omniscient
3rd Person Omniscient (he, she, it, they, his, her, names) - we know what two or more characters is thinking
Define Hyperbole
Hyperbole – exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally (Ex: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse)
Define Allegory
Allegory - a symbolic story that conveys a meaning not explicitly stated in the story. Allegory is often called “a story within a story”
Define Dynamic Character
Dynamic Character - character that changes through the story (Ex: Simba - First is just a reckless cub but then steps up and is a brave king)
Define Connotation
Connotation – the implied meaning of a word (Ex: Home, meaning anyplace you feel comfortable)
3rd Person Limited
3rd Person Limited - (he, she, it, they, his, her, names) we only know what one character is thinking
Define Oxymoron
Oxymoron - An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings, like “old news,” “deafening silence,” or “organized chaos.” Oxymorons may seem illogical at first, but in context they usually make sense.
Define Motif
Motif - A repeated element that has symbolic significance to a story. The defining aspect is that a motif repeats, and through this repetition, a motif helps to illuminate the central ideas, themes, and deeper meaning of the story in which it appears (Ex: Light and Dark in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare highlights the contrast between love, safety, night, and day)
Define Characterization (make sure to define STEAL)
Characterization – how the author reveals a character through STEAL (S-Speech T-Thoughts E-Effects on others A-Actions L-Looks)
Define Denotation
Denotation – the exact or dictionary definition of a word (Ex: The word home as the physical place where a person lives)
3rd Person Objective
3rd Person Objective - we don’t know what any characters are thinking, the writing only describes what is happening