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Personification

is a form of figurative language in which something that
is not human is given human characteristics. (An example would be: "The
wind shouted. Obviously, the wind cannot really shout, only people can)

Idiom

The phrase is understood to mean something quite different
from what individual words of the phrase would imply. For example: "It's
raining cats and dogs." Is an idiom meaning that it is raining very bad

Onomatopoeia

is a word that looks like the sound it makes. Examples
are: bang, ring, drip, etc.

Alliteration

a literary device where two or more words in a phrase or line of poetry share the same beginning consonant sound.
For example: "She sells seashells by the sea-shore."

Haiku

a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.

Stanza

is a division of four or more lines having a fixed length, meter, or rhyming scheme (ONLY FOUND IN POEMS).

Couplet

are two lines of poetry that usually rhyme. (ALWAYS at the bottom of a sonnet).

Sonnet

a 14-line poem.

Ballad

four-line stanzas that follow an ABCB rhyme scheme.

Elegy

is a form of literature that can be defined as a poem or song in the form of couplets, written in honor of someone that has died.

Epitaph

a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument written to praise the deceased.

Folklore

fictional stories about animals and people, of cultural myths, jokes, and songs. A description of culture, which has been passed down verbally from generation to generation, though many are now in written form.

Oxymoron

2 opposite terms. Examples: Jumbo Shrimp, Good Evil, Morning Night.

Hyperbole

an exaggeration.

Literal Meaning

The actual meaning. For example: (to depart) = to leave.

Figurative Language

Not the true meaning. (FAKE) For example: To depart = To die.

Understatement

is a figure of speech employed by writers to make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example: "Someone wins $100 million in the lottery, and he or she when asked how much they won, "I won a few dollars."

Simile

A comparison between two different things using the words "like" or "as."

Metaphor

A comparison between two things that are unrelated. It does NOT use the words: "LIKE" or "AS."

Homonyms

are two words that are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings. Example: Court (Court of Law) and Court (Basketball Court).

Palindrome

a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward. For example, madam, nurses run, and racecar.

Allusion

s a brief and indirect reference to a: person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers.

Satire

A technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society, by using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule.

Soliloquy

is a device often used in drama when a character speaks to him- or herself, relating thoughts and feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience. (Think of the word solo - the person is by themselves on stage).

Memoir

is a written factual account of somebody's life. This literary technique tells a story about the experiences of someone's life. (It comes from the French word mémoire, which means "memory," or "reminiscence").

Contradict

A contradictory statement is one that says two things that cannot both be true. An example: My sister is jealous of me because I'm an only child.

Bias

author's bias or preference for one side of an issue over another.

Bias-free

speech or writing that attempts to that makes no assumptions about the receiver of such communication.

Flaw

Tragic) flaw is a literary device that can be defined as a trait in a character leading to his downfall, and the character is often the hero of the literary piece.

Hubris

is extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character, which ultimately brings about his downfall.

Nemesis

refers to a rival that cannot be defeated, or an inescapable
situation that causes misery and death. (punishment)

Theme

Life Lesson or the Moral of the story. It is NOT the main idea
of the story. So, there will never be an answer that involves characters'
names.

Generalization

defined as a broad statement or an idea that is
applied to a group of people or things. Often, generalizations are not
entirely true. Example: Dogs are smarter than cats.

summarize

a story, you must include the important details of the
story in your own words.

*** MEMORIZE: CENTRAL IDEA - CENTRAL POINT - THEORY - SUMMARY
THEME = ALL EQUAL THE MAIN IDEA (FOUND IN THE LAST
PARAGRAPH: LAST SENTENCE, 1ST SENTENCE & THAN 2ND TO LAST
SENTENCE). ***

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