Grade 8 Midterm Language Terms

First-Person Narration

A narrative style where the story is told from the perspective of a character using "I" or "we." It provides intimate insight into the narrator's thoughts and feelings.

Second-Person Narration

The narrator speaks directly to the reader, using the pronoun “you.”

Third-Person Narration

narrative style where the story is told from an outside perspective, using "he," "she," or "they." It can be omniscient or limited, offering varying levels of insight into characters' thoughts.

Direct Characterization

The author directly tells the reader what a character is like.

Indirect Characterization

The reader learns about a character through their actions, speech, thoughts, and how others react to them.

Major Character

An important character who plays a large role in the story.

Minor Character

A character with a smaller role who supports the main story.

Protagonist

The main character who drives the story forward.

Antagonist

The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

Round Character

A complex character with many traits and a developed personality.

Flat Character

A simple character with only one or two traits.

Static Character

A character who does not change during the story.

Dynamic Character

A character who does change or grow during the story.

Foil Character

A character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight differences.

Symbolic Character

A character who represents an idea or concept beyond themselves.

Meter

A structured rhythm in poetry, determined by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Rhythm

The beat or flow of a poem created by its words and meter.

Figurative Language

Language that goes beyond literal meaning.

Ballad

A poem that tells a story, often in short stanzas and sometimes meant to be sung.

Free Verse

A form of poetry that does not adhere to a specific meter or rhyme scheme, allowing for greater freedom of expression and creativity.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere created by a piece of writing, influencing how the reader feels.

Tone

The attitude or emotional quality conveyed by the author's choice of words and style in a piece of writing.

Diction

The author’s word choice.

Form

The structure or type of a poem or text.

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of rhymes in a poem, shown using letters.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem written in a specific meter and rhyme scheme.

Italian Sonnet

A sonnet divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines).

English Sonnet

A sonnet with three quatrains and a couplet.

Iamb

A metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable, commonly used in poetry.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two different things by stating that one is the other, creating a symbolic meaning.

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things using "like" or "as" to create a vivid image.

Personification

A figure of speech in which human attributes are given to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration for emphasis.

Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes, such as "buzz" or "sizzle."

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words placed together.

Paradox

A statement that appears contradictory but reveals a truth.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, often used to create rhythm or enhance mood in poetry.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences, used for emphasis and rhythm.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words is often used in poetry and prose for emphasis or musicality.

Allusion

A reference to a person, place, event, or literary work, often used to create a deeper meaning or context in a text.

Analogy

A comparison made to explain or clarify an idea.

Pun

A joke based on wordplay or multiple meanings of a word.

Consonance

The repetition of similar consonant sounds in close proximity within a phrase or sentence, often used to create rhythm or enhance the musical quality of language.

Slant Rhyme

Near rhymes that are similar but not exact.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause or break, creating a sense of flow and urgency.