Semester 1 Terms
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below. "
Semester 2 Term
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.”
- Origin Myth- A traditional story that explains how life began
- Oral Tradition-America's earliest form of literature where stories were passed down orally; often used by the Native Americans
- Themes- Insights about life or the human condition; central message
- Archetypes- Symbols, patterns, or character types that are universal
- Rhetoric- The skill in effective use of speech or writing
- Logos- Rhetorical appeal to reasoning and logic
- Ethos- Rhetorical appeal of character and reliability
- Pathos- Rhetorical appeal of emotion
- Literacy- The ability to make meaning, especially with reading and writing
- Political Document- Document that defines the organization and practices of a particular political organization
- Symbol- Person, place, animal, or object that represents something else
- Exploration Narratives- Firsthand accounts of the travels of Europeans who first came to the Americas
- Author's Purpose- The author's reason for writing; general purposes are to persuade, inform, and entertain
- Audience- Readers of the particular work
- Puritan Plain Style- Style characterized by short words and direct statements
- Syntax- Sentence structure
- Metaphor- Figure of speech in which two very different subjects are compared
- Conceit- Extended metaphor
- Apostrophe- when the author addresses something absent or non-human as if it were alive and present
- Stanza- A group of consecutive lines that form a unit
- Speech- A work that is delivered orally to an audience
- Sermon- Speech given from a pulpit in a house of worship intended to provide religious instruction
- Orator- Formal public speaker
- Political Speech- A speech focusing on an issue relating to government usually given by a politician
- Address- A formal speech prepared for a special occasion, such as the inauguration of a new leader
- Rhetorical Devices- Patterns of words and ideas that are used to create emphasis, clarify meaning, and stir listener's emotions
- Restatement- A way of expressing the same ideas using different words
- Rhetorical Questions- Questions asked for effect rather than for answers; used to encourage the audience to reflect on an idea
- Repetition- Restating an idea using the same words
- Parallelism- Repeating a grammatical structure
- Persuasion- Writing that presents an argument attempting to get readers to think or act in a certain way
- Allusions- References from well-known people or events from history or literature
- Dramatic Poetry- Uses the techniques of drama to present the speech of one or more characters in verse form Ex.) "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe is an example of dramatic poetry.
- Lyric Poetry- Expresses the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker
- Sound Devices-Musical qualities of words in a pattern to emphasize meaning
- Rhyme- Repetition of sounds at the end of words
- Consonance- Repetition of final consonant sounds
- Assonance- Repetition of similar vowel sounds
- Alliteration- Repetition of initial identical consonant sounds in accented syllables
- Simile- Figure of speech to compare two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'
- Exact Rhyme- Two or more words have identical sounds in their final stressed syllables
- Slant Rhyme- Final sounds are similar but not identical
- End Rhyme- Full rhyme at the end of each line
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below. "
- Iambic Pentameter- A meter in which five unstressed syllables are followed by five stressed syllables
- Autobiography- An account of a person's life written by that person
- Aphorisms- Short sayings with a message
- Slave Narrative- An autobiographical account of a person's life as a slave
- Characterization- The creation and development of a character throughout a work
- Direct Characterization- An author directly tells you what a character is like
- Indirect Characterization- The writer reveals a character's personality through the character's speech, thoughts, actions, appearance, and other characters' reactions
- Parable- Story that teaches a moral lesson
- Gothic Literature- A literary genre that began in England in the late 1700's
Ex.) "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Poe is a piece from Gothic literature. - Doubling- mirroring of an event, person (doppelgänger), or object.
- Single Effect- Where every detail in a work contributes to one impression
- Figurative Language- Also called figures of speech; language that is used imaginatively instead of literally
- Imagery- The use of words to create pictures
- Author's Style-describes the ways that the author uses words (the author's word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement) that work together to establish the overall mood
- Tone- Author's attitude toward his or her subject
- Analogy- Extended comparison of relationships
- Paradox- Statement that seems contradictory but is actually true
- Epic Poetry- long, narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet
- Free Verse- Has irregular meter and line length and sounds like natural speech
- Diction- Author's word choice
- Onomatopoeia- Words that imitate sounds
- Thesis- Specific position or claim made by a writer
- Point of View- Perspective from which the story is told
- Omniscient Point of View- Narrator relates everything that happens, as well as private thoughts and feelings of characters
- Limited Third-Person Point of View- Readers' information is limited to what a single character feels, thinks, and observes but told by the author
- Diaries/Journals- Personal records of events, thoughts, feelings and observations
Ex.) The Diary of Anne Frank is a diary that Anne Frank used to keep records of what she personally had experienced. - Charged Words-words containing strong connotations meant to produce an emotional response
Ex.) Love and hate are examples of charged words. - Personification- attributing human-like qualities to something not human
Ex.) Phyllis Weatley personifies America in her poem, "To His Excellency, general Washington" - Eponym- a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc is named or thought to be named
Ex.) Amerigo Vespucci's name is widely thought to be the eponym for the name of America. - Visual Argument- the use of visual images to enhance an argument or persuade the viewer
Ex.) Many adds use visual arguments to make their product appear to be more desirable
Semester 2 Term
- Allegory- A story in which all of the literal elements are also symbols.
- Author's Purpose- May be to inform, persuade, or entertain
- Spirituals- Folk songs that were often sung by enslaved African Americans
- Social Commentary- work that serves as a critique of society
- Dialect- Ways of speaking that are specific to a particular area or group of people
- Internal Conflict- A struggle between opposing forces occurring inside the mind of the character
- External Conflict-A struggle occurring between a character and society, nature, another person, etc.
- Irony- Discrepancy in what is stated or meant and what actually happens
- Dramatic Irony- Contradiction between what the character thinks and what the reader knows to be true
- Verbal Irony- Occurs when someone says something that deliberately contradicts what a person actually means
- Situational Irony- Occurs when something happens that contradicts the readers' expectations
- Rhyme Scheme- Pattern of rhyming words at the ends of each line
- Speaker- Voice that tells the story
- Dramatic Monologue- A poem or speech in which a character addresses a silent listener
- Imagism- Literary movement that began in the early 1900's by Ezra Pound and other poets that sought to capture a single image
- Images- Words or phrases that appeal to the senses
- Refrain- A word, phrase, line, or group of lines repeated at regular intervals.
- Existentialism- A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual in a hostile or indifferent universe
- Humor- Writing intended to amuse
- Hyperbole- The exaggeration of details beyond what is logical
- Characters- The personalities represented in a story
- Static Characters- One-dimensional characters with few traits that don't change throughout the story.
- Dynamic Characters- Usually main characters; have many character traits and develop as the story goes on
- Ballad- Song or songlike poem that usually tells a story
- Satire- Writing that ridicules the faults of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity at large
- Resolution- When the struggle ends and the outcome is revealed in a story
- Flashback- Interruptions in which earlier events are described
- Blank Verse- Unrhymed iambic pentameter that mimics the sound of natural speech
- Pastorals- Poems that deal with rural settings
- Parody- Comic piece of writing that mocks the characteristics of a specific work
Ex.) Weird Al is known for his parodies of songs.
- Memoir-a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation
- Social Context- Attitudes, customs, and beliefs of the culture in which the writer lived
Ex.) The social context of the 1920's was materialism and depravity.
- Disillusionment- common theme of the Modern Era of literature
- Fragmentation- Writing which causes confusion by being sporadic; not smooth and flowing
- Development- Conflict increases
- Epiphany- A moment of insight
- Foreshadowing- Clues that hint at what will happen next
- Falling Action- The events that follow the climax
- Rising Action- Events that lead up to the climax
- Extended Metaphor- A sustained comparison
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.”
- Pun- Words or phrases with double meanings
- Organizational Structure- Adds to a text's persuasive appeal