English 3H STUDY GUIDE - CONCISE

Allusion

Reference to a well-known person, event, or text.

Anecdote

Brief personal story used to make a point.

Aphorism

Short, wise statement.

Archetype

Universal character or pattern.

Audience

Who the text is meant for.

Author's Purpose

Reason for writing (inform, persuade, entertain).

Autobiography

Life story written by the author.

Cultural Detail

Info that reflects beliefs or customs of a culture.

Historical Narrative

Story based on real historical events.

Inversion

Reversed word order.

Irony

Contrast between expectation and reality.

Juxtaposition

Placing opposites side by side.

Lyric Poem

Poem expressing personal emotion.

Metaphor

Direct comparison.

Extended Metaphor

Metaphor carried through a text.

Myth

Traditional story explaining origins or beliefs.

Origin Myth

Explains how something began.

Oratory

Formal public speaking.

Parallelism

Repetition of grammatical structure.

Persuasion

Attempt to convince.

Philosophical Assumption

Belief about life or humanity.

Political Assumption

Belief about power or government.

Political Document

Text about government or laws.

Puritan Plain Style

Simple, direct language.

Restatement

Repeating an idea in different words.

Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos (credibility), Pathos (emotion), Logos (logic).

Rhetorical Devices

Techniques used to persuade.

Rhetorical Question

Asked to make a point, not answered.

Repetition

Reuse of words for emphasis.

Rhyme

Matching ending sounds.

Rhythm

Beat or flow of language.

Satire

Uses humor to criticize.

Sermon

Religious speech.

Simile

Comparison using like or as.

Slave Narrative

Autobiography of an enslaved person.

Speech

Spoken address.

Symbol

Object representing a bigger idea.

Syntax

Sentence structure.

Theme

Central message or meaning.

Allegory

Story with a symbolic meaning throughout.

Alliteration

Repeated starting consonant sounds.

Anaphora

Repetition at the beginning of lines.

Anastrophe

Inverted word order.

Assonance

Repeated vowel sounds.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Catalog

Long list in writing.

Characterization

How a character is developed.

Direct Characterization

Author directly tells traits.

Indirect Characterization

Traits shown through actions/dialogue.

Cinquain

Five-line poem with a set structure.

Consonance

Repeated consonant sounds.

Fable

Short story teaching a moral.

Figurative Language

Non-literal language.

Gothic Literature

Dark, mysterious, emotional writing.

Iambic Trimeter

3 iambs per line.

Iambic Tetrameter

4 iambs per line.

Iambic Pentameter

5 iambs per line.

Verbal Irony

Saying one thing, meaning another.

Legend

Semi-historical traditional story.

Literal Language

Means exactly what it says.

Meter

Rhythmic structure of poetry.

Mood

Emotional atmosphere.

Parable

Simple story teaching a lesson.

Rhyme Scheme

Pattern of rhymes.

Setting

Time and place of a story.

Single Effect

One main emotional impact.

Stereotype

Oversimplified idea of a group.

Trochaic Tetrameter

4 trochees per line.

Dramatic Irony

Audience knows more than characters.

Logical Fallacy

Flawed reasoning.

Plot

Sequence of events.

Exposition

Introduction of background info.

Rising Action

Events building tension.

Climax

Turning point.

Falling Action

Events after climax.

Resolution

Conclusion.

Conflict

Central struggle.

External Conflict

Struggle with others or society.

Internal Conflict

Struggle within a character.

Tragedy

Serious drama ending in downfall.

Tragic Flaw

Character's weakness.

Tragic Hero

Noble character brought down by a flaw.