Critical Reading

foreshadowing

to present an indication or a suggestion of beforehand (tell you what is going to happen before it happens)

allusion

to reference something well known (like the Bible, mythology, history, literature, people...)

suspense

uncertainty or anxiety felt about what might happen in a story

symbolism

using an object or action that means something more than it's literal meaning

second person point of view

using the "you" pronoun to narrate the story

internal conflict

a character in conflict with him or herself

external conflict

a character in conflict with outside forces

static character

a character who doesn't change, their heart/personality stays the same

foil

a character who is used as contrast to another character

bildungsroman

a coming-of-age story, which focuses on a narrative of a young adult growing morally and psychologically into an adult.

situational irony

a difference between the expected result and the actual result

irony

a difference between what is said/happens and what is expected

synesthesia

a figure of speech in which one sense is described using terms from another - often a simile. eg. The silence was as thick as a forest. I smell trouble.

oxymoron

a figure of speech in which two seemingly opposing and contradictory elements are juxtaposed. Usually pairs of words.

double entendre

a figure of speech that can be understood in two different ways.

epiphany

a moment in which there is a sudden realisation that leads to a new perspective that clarifies a problem or situation. A character may have an epiphany, or it may also occur in the narration such that the reader has the epiphany.

motif

a narrative element with symbolic meaning that repeats throughout a work of literature.

simile

indirect comparison that uses the words like, as or than.

colloquial

informal language or slang, usually spoken.

metonymy

is a figure of speech in which something is called by a new name that is related in meaning to the original thing or concept.

anthropomorphism

is the attribution of human characteristics and qualities to animals or deities

catharsis

is the the release of emotions such as pity, sadness, and fear.

juxtaposition

is to place two concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other so that the reader will compare and contrast them.

dramatic irony

is when the audience perceives something that a character in the literature doesn't know

diction

refers to the choice of words in a particular situation

alliteration

repetition of initial letters.

third person limited/restricted

the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character. All characters are described using pronouns, such as 'they', 'he', and 'she'.

rhythm

the pattern or sound of poetry with stressed and unstressed syllables.

repetition

the repetition of phrases or words in a story or poetry.

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds in quick succession

plot

the sequence of events in a literary work

point of view

the vantage point from which the author tells a story

setting

time, place and atmosphere of a story

hyperbole

exaggeration for effect

fricative

f, v, th sounds. They are divided into voiced (hard) and voiceless (soft).

personification

giving human characteristics to a nonhuman object.

theme

the major recurring idea, larger meaning of a work

first person point of view

First person point of view is easy to identify because the character or narrator speaks to readers in his or her own voice, frequently using the pronoun 'I'.

character

a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work

rhetorical question

a question that is not expected to be answered.

idiom

a saying, phrase, or fixed expression in a culture that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.

short story

a short fictional prose narrative

fable

a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters

jargon

a specialised set of terms and language that is used in a particular context and setting. It is especially common to find these words in an industry, such as in law, medicine, academia, or an art or sport.

allegory

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

enjambment

a term used in poetry to refer to lines that end without punctuation and without completing a sentence or clause. When a poet uses enjambment, he or she continues a sentence beyond the end of the line into a subsequent line or lines.

satire

a type of writing that ridicules (critizes) something in order to reveal a weakness

onomatopoeia

a word with a meaning that is suggested by its sound.

literal

actual meaning

style

all aspects of how a piece of literature is said or written

rising action

all events leading up to the climax

omniscient narrator

all seeing third person point of view

plosive

b, p, t, d sounds that create an abrupt, sharp, sometimes shocking effect.

parable

bible story with a moral

sarcasm

bitter wounding remarks often the opposite of what is meant.

informal language

casual language

genre

category or type of literature

man vs man

character is in conflict with another person

man vs nature

character is in conflict with nature

man vs society

character is in conflict with society

sibilance

consonance in which the repeated consonant sound is either ess, sh, zee.

consonance

consonant sound is repeated in words that are in close proximity

dynamic character

develops and grows during the course of a story, they change

metaphor

direct comparison

flashback

events that occurred prior (before) the opening scene of the work

liquid

l sounds can flow, creating a sense of quick, light movement - or of water

figurative language/figures of speech

language in which figures of speech (such as metaphors, similes, and imagery) freely occur.

imagery

language that appeals to the five senses

falling action

leads up to the denouement/resolution

moral

lesson taught by a story or fable

anaphora

literary and rhetorical device in which a word or group of words is repeated at the beginning of two or more successive clauses or sentences.

third person omniscient

narrator tells the story but knows everything about all characters. All characters are described using pronouns, such as 'they', 'he', and 'she'.

denoument

occurs just after the climax and is the final moment in which there is resolution for any remaining conflicts in the plot.

superlatives

of the highest quality or degree.

monologue

one way conversation

cliché

overused, stale saying

pun

play on words

formal language

precise, politically correct language.

syntax

s the arrangement of words into a sentence that make sense in a given language.

dialogue

scripted speech/ conversation between people

proverb or adage or aphorism

short traditional saying. Usually a well-known simple truth. (Unlike proverbs or adages aphorisms can often be attributed to a particular author.)

euphemism

softening of something unpleasant.

soliloquy

speech when alone on stage. Usually indicates feelings or thoughts.

conflict

struggle between opposing forces

parody

style of another work is imitated, usually for humour.

stream of consciousness

supposedly random flow of thoughts of characters in fiction, often disjointed and difficult to follow.

direct characterisation

the author directly states the character's traits

indirect characterisation

the author lets us decide about the character by telling us the characters; speech, looks/clothing, inner thoughts, actions, what others say about them

tone

the author's attitude towards the subject/audience

antagonist

the character or force in conflict with the main character

resolution/denouement

the conflicts are resolved

characterisation

the development of a character

mood

the feeling created in the reader

climax

the high point of interest or suspense

paradox

the juxtaposition of a set of seemingly contradictory concepts that reveal a hidden and/or unexpected truth.

protagonist

the main character in a story

verbal irony

when the author says one thing and means another

dialect

words and accents that are unique to a particular area.

homophone

words that sound the same but mean different things.

homonym

words which are spelt the same but mean different things.