American Literature Unit 5 Exam

Canon

a body of books, narratives and other texts considered to be the most important and influential of a particular time period or place

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

word choice

Using words that conjure a certain image in order to accomplish a certain goal.

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

Resolution

End of the story where loose ends are tied up

internal conflict

A struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character

external conflict

a problem or struggle between a character and someone or something outside of the character

Ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

Archetype

a very typical example of a certain person or thing

hero's quest

a plot in which an extraordinary person goes on a difficult journey or mission

humorist

someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Idioms

words whose meanings cannot be understood according to ordinary usage

Dialect

A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

blank verse

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

pastorals

a work of literature portraying an idealized version of country life

Speaker

the voice of the poem

perspective

point of view

cultural identity

a feeling of belonging to a group that shares the same culture, or way of life

autobiography

An account of a person's life written by that person

sonnet

14 line poem

stanza structure

The pattern of stanzas from which it is built

social context

The social environments, including economic and cultural conditions, that influence people's lives.

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Sestet

six line stanza

Quatrain

A four line stanza

octave

an eight-line stanza