9th Grade ELA Final Exam Vocabulary

Human Year Archetype

The use of nature’s cycles to portray human emotions

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

Conflict

The problem or problems in a story

Mood

The atmosphere a piece contains that evokes a certain feeling from the reader

Theme

A message that describes an opinion about life, human nature, or elements of society

Tone

An attitude the author conveys in his/her piece

Symbol

Anything concrete that stands for something abstract

Indirect Characterization

When the author reveals a character through the character’s dialogue, physical description, actions, interactions with other characters, and thoughts

Motif

A repeating element that often has symbolic meaning in a piece of literature

Imagery

The use of description or figurative language to visualize a mood, idea, or character

Setting

The time, place, culture, and socioeconomic atmosphere a piece contains

Situational Irony

When the exact opposite of what you expect to happen happens

Subtext

Context underneath the dialogue: the unspoken thoughts and motives of characters

Foreshadowing

The use of hints as to what will happen later in the story

Foil

Two characters in a story that are the complete opposites of each other

Juxtaposition

Placing two characters, ideas, places, or actions side by side for the purpose of comparing and/or contrasting

Dramatic Irony

Irony in which the audience knows something other characters do not: this creates tension and increases engagement

Suspension of Disbelief

The reader’s willingness to suspend doubt and believe the unbelievable for the sake of enjoyment

Iambic Pentameter

A line of poetry with ten syllables where the first syllable is unstressed and the second is stressed