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100

allusion

an implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar person, place, or event

100

Bias

The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach to a subject or topic

100

Biography

A written account of another person's life

100

Drama

The genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage, radio, or television

100

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

200

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 

200

Draw conclusion

to make a judgment or decision based on reasoning rather than direct or implicit statement  

200

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.

200

Genre

a category used to classify literary  works, usually by form, technique or content.

200

Imagery

Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions

300

Focus

The center of interest or attention.
300

Explain

To make understandable, plain or clear.

300

Fact

A piece of information provided objectively, presented as true.

300

Figurative Language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

300

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.

400

Motif

A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work.

400

Multiple-meaning words

Words that have several meanings depending upon how they are used in a sentence.

400

Narrative

A story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in text.

400

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.

400

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).

500

Soliloquy

A dramatic speech, revealing inner thoughts and feelings, spoken aloud by one character while alone on the stage.

500

Sound Devices

Elements of literature that emphasize sound (e.g., assonance, consonance, alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia)

500

Tone

The attitude of the author toward the audience, characters, subject or the work itself (e.g., serious, humorous).

500

Universal Significance

The generally accepted importance or value of a work to represent human experience regardless of culture or time period.

500

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).