ELA 'studyguide'f

metaphor

A figure of speech that compares two apparently unlike things WITHOUT using the words 'like', 'as', 'then', or 'resembles'.

hyperbole

Purposeful exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.

mood

The atmosphere or emotional setting created in a literary work.

motivation

The reasons behind a character's actions, including their wants, needs, and desires.

irony

A literary device involving a contrast between expectation and reality, including situational irony, dramatic irony, and surprise endings.

simile

A figure of speech that compares two apparently unlike things using the words 'like', 'as', 'then', or 'resembles'.

imagery

Descriptive language used to create word pictures or images.

flashback

A narrative technique where a character recalls a past event while discussing the present.

symbolism

The use of symbols in literature to represent ideas or qualities.

foreshadowing

A literary device that hints at events to come in a story.

tone

The poet's attitude toward the work, conveyed through word choice.

act

The basic unit of drama that contains the main action and reveals parts of the plot.

monologue

A long uninterrupted speech by one character in a play addressed to others on stage.

aside

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

soliloquy

A speech expressing a character's thoughts when they are alone on stage, with no intended listener.

dialogue

A written or spoken exchange between characters that advances the plot and reveals character traits.

drama

A fictional performance that tells a story through actors' performances.

staging

The modification and arrangement of the place of performance.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within nearby words.

Onomatopoeia

The use of a word whose sound imitates its meaning.

Alliteration

The repetition of the initial consonant sounds of words.

Rhyme scheme

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Theme

The moral or lesson of a story.

Personification

Language that attributes human qualities to non-human things.