NOTES pg. 1: Literary Terms
Characterization: the method used by the writer to develop the character. Consists of what the character says, does, feels, thinks, how the character looks, and how others interact with the character.
Character Traits: unique traits that describe a character; usually adjectives.
Flat Character: doesn't change throughout the story.
Round Character: changes throughout the story.
Conflict: problem or clash
External Conflict: either man v. man, man v. nature, or man v. society
Internal Conflict: man v. self
Flashback: when an author jumps from the action of the present to a scene from the past.
Foreshadowing: giving clues, showing, or indicating in advance something that is to come.
Imagery: language that appeals to the senses.
Irony: the clash between what's expected and what occurs
Plot: the storyline; the events that happen in a story.
Point of View: the perspective a story is told from
1st person: Narrator is one of the characters. Uses "I" and "me".
2nd person: Uses "you". Very rare.
3rd person limited: Narrator is not a character, and doesn't know everything. Uses "he" and "she".
3rd person omniscient: Narrator is not a character, and knows everything. Uses "he" and "she".
Rhyme Scheme: the pattern of rhyme.
Setting: the place and time a story happens. Weather & environment can be part of setting.
Stanza: a group of lines in a poem.
Style: an author's particular way of writing.
Symbolism: the use of objects (symbols) to represent a concept or idea.
Tone: how the author or narrator feels about the subject.
Topic: subject matter.
Theme: a main idea in a piece of literature that deals with human nature. Theme is more subtle than topic, is stated in a complete sentence, and can be generalized to much of humanity regardless of time and place.
NOTES pg. 2: Figurative Language
Figurative language is a literary term that refers to language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. When a writer uses literal language, he or she is simply stating the facts as they are.
Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds occurring at the beginning of words or within words. Alliteration is used to create melody, establish mood, call attention to important words, and point out similarities and contrasts. Example: wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken.
Allusion: a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant sounds. Example: fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks
Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement used to heighten effect. It is not used to mislead the reader, but to emphasize a point. Example: She has said so on several million occasions
Idiom: Language specific expression. Example: a cheap shot
Metaphor: A figure of speech which involves an implied comparison between two relatively unlike things using a form of be. The comparison is not announced by like or as. Example: The road was a ribbon of moonlight.
Onomatopoeia: The use of words that mimic sounds. They appeal to our sense of hearing and they help bring a description to life. A string of syllables the author has made up to represent the way a sound really sounds. Example: Caarackle!
Personification: A figure of speech which gives the qualities of a person to an animal, an object, or an idea. It is a comparison which the author uses to show something in an entirely new light, to communicate a certain feeling or attitude towards it and to control the way a reader perceives it. Example: a brave handsome brute fell with a creaking rending cry--the author is giving a tree human qualities.
Simile: A figure of speech which involves a direct comparison between two unlike things, usually with the words like or as. Example: The muscles on his brawny arms are strong as iron bands
Reading Strategies
Summarize: to briefly retell the main ideas in one’s own words.
Accessing Background Knowledge: to ask yourself “What do I already know about this subject?”
Infer: to use text clues and reasoning to figure out something that isn’t explicitly stated in the text.
Using Context Clues: to use clues in the text to determine the meaning of new or unknown words.
Predict: to make a guess about what will happen later in a story.
Question: to ask questions about the story. These can be about vocabulary, literary elements, or higher-order thinking questions.
Connect: to relate something in the text to something else you are familiar with. We use three kinds: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world.
Evaluate: to give one's opinion about the text, a character's actions or motives, or something the author did.
Characterization: the method used by the writer to develop the character. Consists of what the character says, does, feels, thinks, how the character looks, and how others interact with the character.
Character Traits: unique traits that describe a character; usually adjectives.
Flat Character: doesn't change throughout the story.
Round Character: changes throughout the story.
Conflict: problem or clash
External Conflict: either man v. man, man v. nature, or man v. society
Internal Conflict: man v. self
Flashback: when an author jumps from the action of the present to a scene from the past.
Foreshadowing: giving clues, showing, or indicating in advance something that is to come.
Imagery: language that appeals to the senses.
Irony: the clash between what's expected and what occurs
Plot: the storyline; the events that happen in a story.
Point of View: the perspective a story is told from
1st person: Narrator is one of the characters. Uses "I" and "me".
2nd person: Uses "you". Very rare.
3rd person limited: Narrator is not a character, and doesn't know everything. Uses "he" and "she".
3rd person omniscient: Narrator is not a character, and knows everything. Uses "he" and "she".
Rhyme Scheme: the pattern of rhyme.
Setting: the place and time a story happens. Weather & environment can be part of setting.
Stanza: a group of lines in a poem.
Style: an author's particular way of writing.
Symbolism: the use of objects (symbols) to represent a concept or idea.
Tone: how the author or narrator feels about the subject.
Topic: subject matter.
Theme: a main idea in a piece of literature that deals with human nature. Theme is more subtle than topic, is stated in a complete sentence, and can be generalized to much of humanity regardless of time and place.
NOTES pg. 2: Figurative Language
Figurative language is a literary term that refers to language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. When a writer uses literal language, he or she is simply stating the facts as they are.
Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds occurring at the beginning of words or within words. Alliteration is used to create melody, establish mood, call attention to important words, and point out similarities and contrasts. Example: wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken.
Allusion: a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant sounds. Example: fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks
Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement used to heighten effect. It is not used to mislead the reader, but to emphasize a point. Example: She has said so on several million occasions
Idiom: Language specific expression. Example: a cheap shot
Metaphor: A figure of speech which involves an implied comparison between two relatively unlike things using a form of be. The comparison is not announced by like or as. Example: The road was a ribbon of moonlight.
Onomatopoeia: The use of words that mimic sounds. They appeal to our sense of hearing and they help bring a description to life. A string of syllables the author has made up to represent the way a sound really sounds. Example: Caarackle!
Personification: A figure of speech which gives the qualities of a person to an animal, an object, or an idea. It is a comparison which the author uses to show something in an entirely new light, to communicate a certain feeling or attitude towards it and to control the way a reader perceives it. Example: a brave handsome brute fell with a creaking rending cry--the author is giving a tree human qualities.
Simile: A figure of speech which involves a direct comparison between two unlike things, usually with the words like or as. Example: The muscles on his brawny arms are strong as iron bands
Reading Strategies
Summarize: to briefly retell the main ideas in one’s own words.
Accessing Background Knowledge: to ask yourself “What do I already know about this subject?”
Infer: to use text clues and reasoning to figure out something that isn’t explicitly stated in the text.
Using Context Clues: to use clues in the text to determine the meaning of new or unknown words.
Predict: to make a guess about what will happen later in a story.
Question: to ask questions about the story. These can be about vocabulary, literary elements, or higher-order thinking questions.
Connect: to relate something in the text to something else you are familiar with. We use three kinds: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world.
Evaluate: to give one's opinion about the text, a character's actions or motives, or something the author did.