R & J Terms

Alliteration

The repetition of the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words.

Analyze

To examine something closely to understand its meaning or purpose.

Aside

A short remark spoken by a character that is heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

Character Motivations

The reasons behind a character's actions, thoughts, and decisions.

Comic Relief

Humor added to a serious work to provide a break from tension.

Connotation

The feelings or ideas associated with a word beyond its literal meaning.

Diction

An author's choice of words and language.

Dynamic Character

A character who changes or develops throughout a story.

End Rhyme

Rhyming words that occur at the ends of lines of poetry.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues that suggest future events in a story.

Iambic Pentameter

A poetic meter with five iambs per line (unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable).

Infer

To draw a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning.

Internal Rhyme

Rhyming words that occur within the same line of poetry.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as."

Monologue

A long speech given by one character to others on stage.

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere created for the reader or audience.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it describes.

Oxymoron

A phrase that combines two contradictory terms (e.g., "sweet sorrow").

Paraphrase

To restate something in your own words.

Plot

The sequence of events in a story.

Shift

A change in tone, mood, perspective, or subject within a text.

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character reveals thoughts aloud while alone on stage.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and structure.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose.

Static Character

A character who does not significantly change throughout a story.

Theme

The central message, lesson, or idea of a literary work.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.