LA Midterm Exam Study Guide

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Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like the thing it describes

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but contains a deeper truth

Mood

The overall feeling or atmosphere a text creates for the reader

Verbal Irony

When a character says the opposite of what they mean

Situational Irony

When the opposite of what is expected happens

Dramatic Irony

When the reader knows something a character does not

Symbolism

When an object, person, action, or idea represents something deeper or abstract

Idiom

A phrase whose meaning is different from its literal words

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things without using like or as

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using like or as

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect

Allusion

A reference to something outside the text such as mythology, religion, literature, film, or history

Imagery

Language that appeals to one or more of the five senses

Alliteration

Repetition of beginning consonant sounds

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject or work

Theme

The lesson or message of a text written as a complete sentence

Free Verse

Poetry that does not follow a rhyme scheme or stanza pattern

Rhetorical Question

A question asked to make the reader think without expecting an answer

Apostrophe

Addressing a person, idea, or object that is not physically present

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words

Refrain

A repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song

Repetition

Intentionally repeating words or phrases to emphasize an idea

Anecdote

A short personal or real-life story used to support a point

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the chronological order to show past events

Direct Characterization

The author directly tells the reader about a character’s traits

Indirect Characterization

The reader learns about a character through actions, thoughts, and dialogue

Dynamic Character

A character who changes throughout the story

Dystopia

A fictional society marked by oppression, abuse of power, and loss of freedom

Poetry Ponders

Poems that require analysis of theme, tone, mood, and literary devices

Poetry Analysis Skill

Identify subject, tone, mood, literary devices, and theme

Walt Whitman

An American poet known as the father of free verse

An Old Man’s Thought of School Subject

An old man reflecting on his childhood and school experiences

Why School Is Important to Whitman

School represents youth, innocence, learning, and personal growth

Connection to Free Verse

The poem has no strict rhyme or meter

O Captain My Captain Context

Written in response to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination

O Captain My Captain Subject

Mourning the death of a great leader

JFK Elegy Context

Written in response to the assassination of John F Kennedy

JFK Elegy Subject

Mourning JFK and national loss

Common Poetry Theme

Grief, loss, leadership, memory

The Necklace Author

Guy de Maupassant

The Necklace Historical Context

19th century France and social class divisions

The Necklace Plot

Mathilde borrows a necklace, loses it, replaces it, and later learns it was fake

The Necklace Theme

Pride and appearance can lead to suffering

Reader Response Lens

Focuses on the reader’s personal reaction

Ethical Moral Lens

Focuses on right versus wrong

Historical Lens

Focuses on the time period and social context

Feminist Lens

Focuses on gender roles and expectations

Identity Through Stereotypes

Mathilde defines herself by wealth and appearance

Harrison Bergeron Author

Kurt Vonnegut

Harrison Bergeron Historical Context

Cold War fears and government control

Harrison Bergeron Setting

A dystopian future society

Harrison Bergeron Plot

Society enforces equality and Harrison rebels but is killed

Harrison Bergeron Theme

Forced equality destroys individuality

Handicaps Symbol

Government control

Television Symbol

Mindless entertainment and distraction

Fahrenheit 451 Author

Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 Context

Fear of censorship, conformity, and mass media

The Hearth and the Salamander Symbolism

Fire represents destruction and control

Montag Job

A fireman who burns books and feels empty

Clarisse

Represents curiosity and free thinking

Mildred

Represents conformity and emotional emptiness

The Hound

Mechanical enforcer used by the government

Woman Who Dies With Books

Shows the power of knowledge

Ventilator Grate

Where Montag hides books

The Sieve and the Sand Symbolism

Loss of meaning and inability to retain knowledge

Faber

Former English professor who guides Montag

Bible on Subway

Knowledge versus distraction

Faber’s Invention

An earpiece used to communicate with Montag

Poetry Reading Scene

Mildred’s friends react with discomfort and anger

Final Alarm Location

Montag’s house

Burning Bright Symbolism

Fire represents rebirth and hope

Mildred’s Betrayal

She reports Montag

Beatty’s Death

Beatty wanted to be destroyed

Granger

Leader of the book people

City’s Fate

Destroyed by war

Montag’s Ending

He joins the book people to rebuild knowledge

Subject

Who or what the sentence is about

Verb

Shows action or state of being

Direct Object

Receives the action of the verb

Noun

A person, place, thing, or idea

Linking Verb

Connects the subject to a description

Helping Verb

Helps the main verb

Action Verb

Shows action

Article

A, an, or the

Conjunction

Connects words or groups of words

Adjective

Describes a noun

Adverb

Describes a verb, adjective, or adverb

Transitive Verb

A verb with a direct object

Intransitive Verb

A verb without a direct object

Pronoun

Replaces a noun

Subject Verb Agreement

Subject and verb must match in number

Preposition

Shows relationship between words

Prepositional Phrase

Begins with a preposition and ends with its object

Colon

Introduces a list or explanation

Semicolon

Joins two related independent clauses

Appositive

A noun that renames another noun

Active Voice

Subject performs the action

Passive Voice

Subject receives the action