Lit Term Mania
Which term refers to the physical representation of something in a text?
Which literary term refers to an author using an idea to represent something in a text?
Symbol
Example: A heart symbolizes love; this is a universal symbol in every culture.
Symbolism
Example: A storm can represent hurt, anger, conflict, depression, sadness, etc.
A storm can also be used to foreshadow an ominous event coming up in a text.
Bonus 200 points: Give an example of each term from any text we have read in class this semester.
What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? What is the author's purpose in using these figurative language terms?
A simile is a comparison USING like or as and a metaphor is a comparison NOT using like or as.
Poets often use these terms to help deepen the meaning of their poem. For instance, in the poem "Memories," the speaker uses a metaphor to compare herself to a "frightened bird" to help the reader know she is dealing with the internal conflict of anxiety.
What is the definition of a stanza? Explain how an author can use varied lengths of stanzas to impact the mood/tone or theme of a poem.
The name for a group of lines that appear together in a poem.
An author can use varied stanza lengths to create a positive/negative mood or to impact the overall theme of the poem in various ways.
What is the definition of theme and how does one identify the theme of a work of literature?
The overall message in a story. One identifies the theme in a work of literature by identifying ideas/topics the author is trying to portray to his/her audience throughout the entire text and then developing those ideas/topics into a short sentence/phrase (create a theme statement).
For instance, if you're reading a novel about war and the speaker is sharing painful memories about trying to survive the war and damages this experience had on his/her life, the reader can infer that a theme in the novel could be: War has a detrimental impact on victims of war concerning their physical, emotional and mental health.
What is the definition of figurative language AND what are some examples of figurative language terms?
Figurative language refers to language an author uses to convey a message to the reader in a non-literal way.
Examples of figurative language terms would be:
simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, pun, oxymoron, alliteration, etc.
What is the difference between internal and external conflict? Give an example of each type of conflict from a text we have read this semester.
Internal conflict refers to a conflict that happens within a person (man vs. self); it deals with a character's emotions.
External conflict is a conflict that happens outside of a person (man vs. man, man vs. nature or man vs. society).
What is the definition of personification?
What is the definition of an oxymoron?
Give an example of each one.
Personification: Giving NONHUMAN things HUMAN characteristics.
Oxymoron: Two words that contrast.
Examples: foolish wisdom or deafening silence
What is text structure?
How the author structures his/her text.
In a nonfiction piece about volcanoes, the author could give you general information about volcanoes, followed by the geographical location of the largest volcanoes on Earth and end with the cause and effect of a volcanic eruption. Author's structure their text for specific reasons.
For instance, an author writing fiction could write his/her short story in short, choppy paragraphs to symbolize the internal conflict of a character.
What is the definition of author's purpose? How do you identify an author's purpose in a text?
The purpose an author has for writing his/her text (to entertain, inform or persuade).
Remember, the author's purpose can shape the tone of his/her work. Once you have identified an author's purpose, you will want to identify the central idea of the text; this will typically be located in the beginning.
What is the definition of diction and how can an author's diction impact a literary work, poem or a piece of nonfiction?
The author's choice of words.
A question you could get asked on the EOC is, "How does the author's use of diction contribute to the overall mood/tone of the poem?" If the author is using words that create regretful tone, you would respond to that question by saying that the author's use of diction conveys a regretful tone in his/her poem and then pick the specific words/phrases he/she uses to create the regretful tone.
Diction simply refers to the words an author uses to make readers feel a certain way. For instance, in "A Long Way Gone," Beah uses specific diction to express how desperate he feels about not having food. He says, "That night we were so hungry that we stole people's food while they slept. It was the only way to get through the night" (Beah). He uses the words/phrases, "so hungry," "stole," "while they slept," and "get through the night" to convey desperation to the reader. By him using these words, we can infer that they boys had no choice by to steal food, or they would have died.
What is the definition of mood and how does the author develop the mood of a text?
The way the READER feels about a text.
Your mood, as a reader, can be impacted by an author's word choice (diction). Sometimes a reader's mood can be different than the author intended it to be; everyone reacts to a text in different way. Be sure to look at your answer choices carefully!
REMEMBER: mood = me to help you remember the difference.
What is the definition of a hyperbole?
Give an example.
An over-exaggeration.
Example: I am so hungry I could eat an elephant.
Bonus 100 points: Give your own example of a hyperbole.
An author might use a hyperbole to call your attention to something important. If you see a hyperbole while you're reading, chances are there will be a question about it.
What is the definition of point-of-view?
The opinion an individual has of something or the perspective from which a story is written.
What is the definition of central idea?
The main idea of a selection.
Think about the focus of the literary work to identify the central idea; it will typically be found at the beginning of a text.
What is the definition of rhyme?
What is the correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.
Example: cat and hat
Bonus 200 points: Why would an author use rhyme in his/her poem?
What is the definition of tone and how does an author establish it in a text?
How the author feels about the subject he/she is writing about.
The author uses specific words (diction) to dictate the tone of his/her work. If you can identify positive and negative words and/or imagery in an unfamiliar text, such as a poem, you can get an idea about the author's tone. The author's tone CAN change throughout a text; however, typically, it has at least one consistent tone throughout the whole piece.
What is the definition of imagery? How does an author use imagery to develop the theme, tone and/or mood of a poem or piece of literature.
When the author gives descriptive details to the reader using the 5 senses (things you can see, hear, taste, smell and touch).
Bonus 200 points: Find an example of imagery in "A Long Way Gone" and explain how it contributes to the overall tone and mood the the excerpt you chose.
What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?
A synonym is a word that means the same as another word and an antonym is a word that means the opposite.
Example: cold
Synonym: chilly
Antonym: hot
Bonus 200 points: Give an example of a synonym and an antonym of the word angry.
What is the difference between the speaker and the author?
What is the audience?
The speaker is the person talking in the literary work and the author is the person who wrote it. They can be the same if the work of literature is a piece of nonfiction.
The audience is the reader- every author has an intended audience. Sometimes, age can play a factor; however, authors typically write their literary work to appeal to a group of people. For example- "The Fault in Our Stars" was written primarily for a teenage audience and for kids struggling with medical issues and depression. John Green wants to provide hope to teenagers battling these issues.
What is the difference between assonance, consonance and alliteration?
Assonance is when vowel sounds (a, e, i, o and u) are repeated several times within a line and features repetitive consonant sounds throughout, usually in the middle or end of words.
Examples
Assonance: He locked the box with the rocks.
All three words locked, box and rock repeat the same vowel sound –o. Each of these words contains the same vowel sound, but they start with different consonant sounds.
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Consonance: Consonance (an letter that's not a vowel) refers to repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase.
Example: Touch the peach on the beach.
Here, all three words, touch, peach and beach end with the consonants –ch. Consonance is also used for the purpose of restating the significance of an idea or theme.
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Alliteration, on the other hand, is when you have the same sound at the BEGINNING of a word:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Sally sold seashells down by the seashore.
What is the difference between direct and indirect characterization? How does an author develop character traits throughout a story?
Indirect characterization is when the reader must make inferences about the characters and setting in a text.
Direct characterization refers to the author using specific details to describe the characters and the setting.
Bonus 100 points: Give an example of each type of characterization from a text we read this semester.
What is the difference between connotation and denotation?
Connotation is the attitude and feelings a person has toward a word and denotation is the dictionary definition of a word. Connotation is just your emotional connection to a word- how does it make you feel when you hear/see it?
Example: When I say the word "home," everyone has a different opinion of his or her home. Some people love to be at home and others don't. However, the dictionary definition of a home is "a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household" (dictionary.com).
Define the following words/phrases:
convey
imply/implied
perception
reveal
additional depth
dialogue
infer/inferred
indicate
significance
unfold
demonstrates
assumption(s)
refine
develop
contrast
emphasize
reflect
emerge
advance
convey: to show
imply: suggest
perception: one's opinion of a situation based on observations
reveal: to show
additional depth: to add detail or go deeper
dialogue: talking in a text
infer/inferred: make a conclusion based on the text
indicate: to show
significance: importance
unfold: lay out
demonstrates: show
assumption(s): opinion NOT based on careful observation
refine: to make clear
develop: to show a progression
contrast: difference
emphasize: add detail to
reflect: think deeply about/analyze/show
emerge: to come out/reveal itself
advance: to progress a point
What is the difference between a subjective summary and an objective summary?
An objective summary discusses facts and does not include ANY opinions. A subjective summary is one's opinion of a piece of literature or nonfiction.
Example of an Objective Summary: "A Long Way Gone" is a memoir about Ishmael Beah's life in Sierra Leone. He discusses his experiences as a child soldier.
** I did not use any opinions here; I just stated the facts.
Example of a Subjective Summary: "A Long Way Gone" is an awesome memoir about Ishmael Beah's life as a child soldier. He also bravely tells his readers about his experiences as he travels from village to village to to find safety.
** In this summary, I used the words "awesome" and "bravely" to explain how I feel about the memoir. By using these words, I have expressed my opinion; therefore, it makes my summary subjective.
What is the definition of Point of View? There are 3 points of view in a fictional text. What are they?
Definition of Point of View: The view in which the story is written (1st person, 3rd person limited, or 3rd person omniscient).
Bonus for 100 points: Give an example of a 1st person pronoun and a 3rd person pronoun.
*A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun.