Terms I
Dramatic device in which a character makes a short speech intended for the audience, but not heard by the other characters on stage
What is...Aside
the literal meaning of a word—the meaning you would find in a dictionary
What is... Denotation
a word opposite in meaning to another
What is.. Antonym
a direct comparison of dissimilar objects, usually using like or as:“I wandered lonely as a cloud”
What is..Simile
a dramatic device in which a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud
What is..Soliloquy
repetition of vowel sound, followed by a different constant sound
what is.. Assonance
the emotional meaning of a word—the deeper meaning a word is being used to represent. For example, “house” and “home” are literally very similar, but their connotations are very different. A house is just a building, while a home is the place you belong and where your family is. “Home” has a different emotional effect than “house” does, so it has a different connotation
What is.. Connotation
The essential background information at the beginning of a literary work
What is..Exposition
a summary of a selection that is not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice.
What is..Objective Summary-
voice in a poem; the person or thing that is speaking
What is..Speaker
word choice to make a specific effect
what is...Diction
a technique an author uses to convey to the reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective or to effectively transmit the author’s message to the reader.
what is... Rhetorical Device
end of a literary work when loose ends are tied up and questions are answered
What is...Resolution/denouement
the main character in a literary work
What is..Protagonist
a manner in which information is organized and presented
What is..Structure
a recurring feature of a literary work that is related to the theme
What is... Motif
The tone writers use when they are trying to make fun of what they are writing about.
What is... Satire
a reference to something well-known that exists outside the literary work
What is.. Allusion
language that appeals to the five senses
What is.. Imagery
standardized, conventional ideas about characters, plots and settings
What is..Stereotype
phrase that consists of two words that are contradictory: “living dead” or “pretty ugly”
What is.. Oxymoron
What are the 3 types of Irony
What is..
Dramatic… when the reader or audience knows something a character does not
Situational… when there is a disparity between what is expected and what actually occurs
Verbal… when the speaker says one thing but means the opposite
An extended metaphor, where the entire story or poem has a secondary symbolic meaning.
What is..Allegory
the reason behind what an author writes, not the main idea of the story.
What is..Author’s Purpose
group of lines forming a unit in a poem
What is..Stanza