simile
comparison using like or as
metaphor
direct comparison using is/was or are/were
allusion
reference to literary text, person, place, event or another work of literature
theme
the main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary or indirectly
theme statement
a description of the central idea conveyed in a literary work
author’s purpose
reason for or intent in writing
tone/attitude
refers to the mood implied by an author's word choice and the way that the text can make a reader feel
consonance
repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning, middle, or end of two or more words in a line of poetry
onomatopoeia
words that imitates sound
point of view
the way that someone views or thinks about something (first person, second person, third person omniscient, third person limited)
perspective
the narrator’s outlook or view on the story’s events, characters, and the world
main or central idea
the main point the author is making
text structure
the way the author organizes information in a text (description, order & sequence, cause & effect, compare & contrast, and problem & solution)
context clues
hints in the text that a reader can use to understand the meanings of new or unfamiliar words
inferences
an idea or conclusion that is drawn from evidence and reasoning
summary
a brief statement of the main points
repetition
the action of repeating something that has already been said or written
personification
giving human qualities or actions to non-human things
vivid/sensory imagery
uses sensory details to enhance their descriptions
symbol/symbolism
used to convey the meaning of larger and more abstract concepts
foreshadowing
drops hints of what may happen in the future
assonance
repetition of the sound of a vowels
alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds
narrator
someone who recounts the events of a novel or narrative
transitions - words and phrases
lead the reader from one idea to another, connect thoughts between sentences, introduce examples, and connect paragraphs
parallelism / parallel structure
the use of sentence construction that are the same or similar in terms of grammatical form. ex: I will follow you anywhere, any time, for any reason.
connotation - negative, positive
negative connotation: a word with a bad association: ex. cheap.
positive connotation: a word with a positive connotation: ex. frugal
irony - situational, dramatic, verbal
whenever a person says something or does something that departs from what they (or we) expect them to say or do.
situational: an event that mocks the circumstances
dramatic: a secret only the audience knows
verbal: sarcasm
parts of an essay and chunk writing format
introduction paragraph with a hook, background context/info and thesis statement
topic sentences - provide an insight or opinion (expository writing), make a claim/argument (persuasive writing, literary analysis), or hook the reader’s interest (creative writing)
concrete details/quotations - provide facts that prove the topic sentence
commentary/analysis - write how the concrete detail proves the topic sentence
conclusion sentence - tie the paragraph together without repeating the topic sentence
conclusion paragraph - conclude the essay together without repeating the topic sentence. rewrite the topic sentence to fit a concluding statement
ventriloquist
someone who can speak or utter sounds so it seems that it comes from someone else
salient
most noticeable or important
bewildered
perplexed and confused; very puzzled
agile
able to move quickly and easily
sensationalized
present information about something in a way that provokes public interest and excitement, at the expense of accuracy
apocryphal
a story or statement of doubtful authenticity, although widely accepted circulated as being true
meager
lacking in quantity or quality
blundering
making or characterized by stupid or careless mistakes; clumsy
extrapolated
extend the application of a method or conclusion, to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable
blood-curdling
causing terror or horror