english midterm words
dialogue
a character speaking
simile
a comparison of two things using words like "like," "as," or "though"
imagery
a description of how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds. Imagery may use literal or figurative language to appeal to the senses
oxymoron
a paradox made up of two seemingly contradictory words (ex. Jumbo shrimp)
flashback
a scene that breaks the normal time order of the plot to show a PAST event
symbol
a setting, or object, or an event in a story that carries more than literal meaning and therefore represents something significant to understanding a work of literature
paradox
a statement or situation that is seemingly contradictory on the surface but delivers an ironic truth (ex. Timid and shy but with the courage of a lion)
denotation
a word's dictionary definition
allusion
brief reference to a person, an event, or a place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art
characterization
building a character (personality traits, likes and dislikes, looks)
hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or an ironic effect or an overstatement to make a point (ex. I walked a million miles today)
metaphor
figure of speech comparing two things without using "like" or "as" ; saying something is something else
personification
giving an inanimate object human characteristics/qualities (ex. The fridge hummed)
foreshadowing
hinting towards something happening before it happens (Evelyn Devor foreshadowed that she was evil - her name sounds like evil endeavor)
stanza
refers to a group of lines separated from others, similar to paragraphs in prose
connotation
refers to meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition. They are often positive or negative, and they often greatly affect the author's tone (ex. plump vs fat vs obese)
alliteration
repetition of the same consonant sound in a sequence of words
antagonist
someone who goes against the main character (ex. Mother Gothel in Tangled)
tone
the attitude the speaker takes towards the topic, an elusive quality which allows play on the gap between what is said and what is meant...depends on the context, makes irony possible
exposition
the beginning of a story; establishes characters and setting
resolution
the conflict is resolved and the story gets wrapped up
falling action
the events following the climax (the tension builds up, it explodes, then everything goes down and calms down (falling action))
mood/atmosphere
the feeling the author creates (often using the setting)
protagonist
the main character (ex. Mirabel in Encanto)
climax
the most intense, exciting, or important part of the story
narration
the narrator (the person who you hear the story from) (point of view) 1st (I, me)/2nd (you, yourself)/3rd person (he, she, they)
rhythm
the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem
speaker
the person, not necessarily the author, speaking in the poem
setting
the place/time where the story takes place
rising action
the plot that builds up to the climax
conflict
the problem the protagonist experiences in a story
assonance
the repetition of internal vowel sounds in nearby words that do not end the same
theme
the underlying issues or ideas of a work (ex. Romeo and Juliet suggests that love is a destructive force that, if unleashed, cannot be controlled)
onomatopoeia
use of words that refer to sounds and whose pronunciations mimic those sounds (ex. Hiss, slap, clap, slam, buzz)
irony
verbal irony: the speaker says the opposite of what they mean (not sarcasm because sarcasm needs to be used in a mocking way); dramatic irony: the audience seems to know more about an event, a situation, or a conversation than the characters in a story; situational irony: what happens is the complete opposite of what is expected
