Ninth Grade Literature EOCT Review
meter
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry
Tone
A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization.
theme
a universal message about life
almanac
almanac
Sonnet
14 line poem with fixed structure and rhyme scheme including three quatrains and a rhyming couplet; popularized by Shakespeare
anecdotes
A brief, entertaining account of an interesting incident
Antagonist
A character or force in conflict with the main character
dynamic character
A character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action
Aside
A comment made to the audience, not intended for the other characters to hear.
iambic pentameter
A common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable.
Idiom
A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.
dialogue
A conversation between two or more characters
hyperbole
A figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effects. Ex: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Irony
A form of speech intended to convey the opposite of the actual meaning of the words
Quatrain
A four line stanza
index
A list at the end of a book that shows where certain topics appear throughout the book.
Epic Poetry
A long narrative poem about the adventures of an almost superhuman character such as The Odyssey
monologue
A long speech in a play or story, delivered by a single person (see soliloquy).
foreshadowing
A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
Exposition
A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the setting, characters, and their circumstances.
exposition
A narrative device; The introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the story.
Third Person Point of View
A narrator outside the action narrates the events using pronouns like "he", "his", "she", "her", and "they".
internal conflict
A person struggling with some kind of internal pressure. Internal conflicts are not always evident on the character's exterior.
symbolism
A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well.
primary source
A record of events by someone who participated in or witnessed the events directly. These sources are called primary because they would be the first recorded, and the most related to a topic or an incident in time.
thesaurus
A reference text that shows words that have just about the same or opposite meaning as the chosen word.
allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
plot
A series of related events in a story, each connected to the next.
Dramatic Irony
A situation where the audience knows more than a character on stage.
Pun
A term for a play on words that have a similar meaning. Ex. A "seafood" diet: I see food and I eat it."
allegory
A work of literature that has a second, usually moral or spiritual meaning
Connotation
All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests
Pathos
Appeals to emotion
Logos
Appeals to logic, and is a way of persuading an audience by reason.
Denotation
Dictionary definition of a word.
rising action
Events leading up to the climax.
appendix
Extra information at the back of the book.
Mood
Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader
imagery
Language that an author uses that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
Climax
Most exciting moment of the story; turning point
external conflict
Person vs. person - physical fight between two characters Person vs. nature - person trying to survive against the elements Person vs. society - person trying to go against society's norms or rules Person vs. machine - usually person vs. technology
climax
That point in a plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest; usually the point at which the conflict is resolved
Second Person Point of View
The narrator addresses the reader using the word "you". (You were about to make the wrong decision when a surge of pure instinct caused you to say the answer)
First Person Point of View
The narrator is a character in the story. pronouns such as "I" and "me" or "my(self)" are used as an indication. (The adrenaline in my body was pumping. There was 3 seconds on the clock and I needed a 3 pointer to win my team the tournament)
active voice
The subject of the sentence performs the action
passive voice
The subject of the sentence receives the action.
dictionary
Where you find definitions of words
modifiers
Words that describe a noun that can include adjectives, verbs and nouns themselves.
metaphor
a fig. of speech that says one thing IS another different thing, whether it's similar or not.
simile
a figure of speech that says one thing is LIKE another different thing. Uses like or as.
soliloquy
an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any audience (Latin solo "to oneself" + talk "loquor")
personification
an inanimate object that is endowed with human qualities or abilities in writing. Ex: "The cupcakes in the basket were begging me to eat them, so I did."
Iamb
an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
fixed form
any form of poem in which there is a specific structure, pattern and/or rhyme
ethos
appeals to credibility / ethics
dramatic irony
facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or a piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work
Protagonist
main character
argumentative
nonfiction writing in which an author establishes a position on a debatable topic and supports the position with evidence and counterclaims.
informational / explanatory
nonfiction writing that informs the reader
semicolon
punctuation mark that can be used in place of a comma and conjunction (FANBOYS) to combine two closely related simple sentences and make a compound sentence.
Narrative
story; can be fiction or nonfiction
conflict
struggle between opposing forces. Man vs. Man, Man vs. society, Man vs. himself Man vs. supernatural and Man vs. nature.
alliteration
the repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. Ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
irony
the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Often confused with coincidence. Subgenres: sarcasm, dramatic irony, situational irony, cosmic irony
Imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.
static character
A character that does not change from the beginning of the story to the end
glossary
A list of definitions for difficult or specialized words used in a book.
