when an author or poet chooses to have a few words in a row start with the same consonant sound for...
TRANSCRIPT
When an author or poet chooses to have a few
words in a row start with the same consonant sound for effect.
EX: when the Same Sound Starts Several words in a row.
EX: Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.
Alliteration
The person or force that works against the
purposes of the main character in a narrative.
E.G: If Batman is the main character, then Joker is his antagonist.
Note that the main character and the antagonist can be the same person, if one part of his personality is working against other parts.
Antagonist
Repeated use of the same vowel sound within a
line of poetry or a sentence to create internal rhyme
EX: Windows tinted on my ride when I drive in it, so when I rob a bank run out and just dive in it, so i'll be disguised in it. And if anybody identifies the guy in it, i hide for five minutes. Come back, shoot the eye witness. Fire at the private eye hired to pry in my business… --Eminem, Criminal
Assonance
The dominant feeling that comes across in a
poem.
Ex: sad, gloomy, terrifying, mysterious, joyful, cheery, serene, etc.
(See also: MOOD)
Atmosphere
The life story of someone, written by that
person.
Autobiography
A ballad is a poem that tells a fairly simple
story (narrative). It usually has an easily identified, powerful metre and strong rhymes in an ABAB or AABB pattern. Some ballads are also set to music.
Ballad
The life story of a person, written by someone
else.
Biography
A person, defined by their personality traits.
It is not enough to say, « a person in a story », you must also define what KIND of person they are.
For example, Katniss, the main character in The Hunger Games is an intelligent, resourceful character.
Character
In order by time (first to last, or last to first).
Chronological order
A descriptive phrase that is extremely
overused. When they were original, they were new and very useful, but now they are overdone (and to be avoided).
Salvador Dali once said, « The first man to compare a girl’s cheeks to a rose was a poet. The second was an idiot. »
Cliché
The point of maximum tension in a narrative.
Climax
In literature, a comedy is any work that does
not end in tragedy In other words, anything with a happy ending.
In common use, it is something designed to make the audience laugh…but in literature, « happy ending » is the best answer.
Comedy
To « compare » is to show how things are
similar.
If you are asked to COMPARE the characters of Hermia and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you will show what these two characters have in common. (E.G. They are female, they are assertive, they
are having men problems, etc)
Comparison
What gets a narrative moving. It is the action
of one force against another.
The general forms of conflict are: Person vs. Person Person vs. Nature Person vs. Fate Person vs. Self
There is no good story without conflict!!
Conflict
Repetition of the same consonant sound
several times in quick succession (note that alliteration is at the BEGINNING of words; otherwise, they are the same!)
Ex: All MaMMals naMed saM are claMMy
Consonance
To contrast is to show how two things are
different.
(The opposite of compare)
Contrast
Two lines of poetry that form a stanza
together. Often, these lines rhyme.
Ex: I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree
Couplet
A French term, literally meaning
« unknotting »
The part of a narrative after the conflict is resolved, where any loose ends are tied up.
Not all narratives have a dénouement.
Dénouement
Writing that literally shows characters
speaking.
In drama, plays are written mostly as dialogue, with a few directions in between.
Most other forms of writing show dialogue with quotation marks.
Dialogue
A personal, private journal. People who keep
diaries often write in them daily.
Sometimes, these are published as a literary work (The Diary of Anne Frank)
Sometimes, stories are written in diary form, from the point of view of one character or several characters.
Diary
Any literary work intended to be performed in
front of an audience. Plays, skits, TV episodes, films and commercials
are all examples of drama.
Drama
« Dynamic » means changing.
A dynamic character is one who undergoes an important change from the start to the end of a text.
For example, a character may start out tough and self-centered and then learn how to be more caring and compassionate over the course of a story.
Dynamic character
The exposition at the start of a narrative tells
us: WHO is involved in the story (characters) WHERE and WHEN the story takes place
(setting) WHAT the conflict will be
It is the « set-up » part of a story.
Exposition
Expository is from the word « expose ».
This is an essay which EXPLAINS something.
Expository Essay
This is conflict which happens between a
character (or characters) and someone or something else.
EXTERNAL means outside.
Person vs. Nature would be an example of an external conflict.
External conflict
The portion of a narrative where the tension
becomes less and less.
Falling Action
Figurative language is anything not meant to
be taken literally. It is using words for more than just their connotation.
Some examples of figurative langauge are similes, metaphors, oxymorons, etc.
Figurative language
When a narrative is in FIRST PERSON, one of
the characters (the point of view character) tells the story using « I »
Example: I went to the store and bought a grapefruit. The grocer looked at me oddly.
If this were NOT in first person, what would it sound like?
First person POV
A flat character is one that has very few
personality traits.
Think in terms of a paper doll—2-dimensional. This sort of character could also be a
stereotyped or stock character.
Flat character
A literary technique used by a writer to give
hints about what is going to happen later in the narrative.
Obvious foreshadowing could include phrases like, « Little did I know what a bad idea that was » (which tells us that whatever the character did would turn out badly)
There are other, more subtle forms of foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing
The use of extreme exaggeration for effect.
EX: I have told you a million times what hyperbole means!
Hyperbole
A part of a poem which gives the reader a
picture in his or her head. Some images are sound-, smell-, taste-, or
touch-based
Ex: (from T. S. Eliot’s « The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock)
Let us go then, you and IWhen the evening is spread out against the skyLike a patient etherized upon a table,
Image
The use of images to make poetry more
interesting and impactful.
Note that imagery can be visual (like in the previous example), or they can be auditory, olfactory, or appeal to other senses.
Imagery
Conflict that happens within one character.
The only type of INTERNAL CONFLICT is a Person vs. Self conflict.
Internal conflict
Irony happens when there is a conflict
between what is expected and what happens.There are three kinds of irony:
1. DRAMATIC IRONY: the audience knows what’s going on, but the character(s) don’t
Ex: We know who the murderer is, but the police in the movie are still trying to figure it out.
Irony
2. VERBAL IRONY: When what is said and the
meaning are conflicting. Ex: The teacher says, « You got 2/20. Good
job! »
3. SITUATIONAL IRONY: When what happens is completely unexpected, and conflicts with normal expectations. Ex: Man bites dog.
Irony continued
The story is written from a point of view that
lets the reader know what some characters are thinking, but not others.
The story is written in the third person.
E.G. « He went to the grocery store and looked carefully at all the fruit. Only the grapefruit looked fresh. While he hated grapefruit, he rememberedthat it was his cousin’s favourite. The grocer looked at him oddly as he checked out. »
Limited Omniscient POV
Comparing TWO things that are not normally
alike WITHOUT using « like » or « as ».
EX: My brother’s a pig.EX: All the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players(William Shakespeare, As You Like It, II, 7)
Metaphor
The main feeling of a poem (see atmosphere)
Mood
A story passed down orally which explains a
natural phenomenon.
E.G. « How the Elephant Got His Trunk »
Myth
«Narrative » is another word for story.
A narrative poem is a poem that tells a story. It has a beginning, a plot, characters, etc.
Narrative
The person from whose point of view a story
(poem, etc) is written.
I (Mrs. Cousar) can write a story from the point of view of a five-year –old: Today is my first day in kindergarten. My
teacher is Mister Henderson. He is very tall and not as round as my Daddy…
The narrator in the story is the five-year-old. The author is Mrs. Cousar. They are different!!
Narrator
A story written from this point of view is written in
the third person, as though a camera were recording the scene. No thoughts of any characters are included. Readers have to guess what characters are thinking and feeling:
« He walked slowly to the grocery story, his brow furrowed. Pausing in the fruit aisle, he took his time examining the apples and citrus fruit. Nodding slightly, he chose a large yellow grapefruit. As he reached the checkout counter, the clerk squinted at him. »
Objective POV
Omniscient means « all knowing ». This sort of story is written in third person. In this
case, the reader knows what ALL characters are thinking and feeling:
He enjoyedhis short walk to the grocery store. When he arrived, the smell of fresh fruit caught his full attention. His cousin was coming to visit, but she hated most fruit. What type was the only one she liked? Grapefruit! That was it! He chose a large one . As he went to pay for it, the grocer was puzzled. Joe hated all citrus fruit, she remembered. Why was he buying a grapefruit? »
Omniscient POV
Words that sound like what they are. Usually, these are words that represent sounds.
EX: creak, sproing, eek, bark, crash, etc.
Onomatopoeia
Two words that are opposites that are used
together for effect.
Ex: sweet sorrowPlastic glassAct naturallyFound missingPreliminary results
Oxymoron
When an author gives a non-human thing
human characteristics
EX: The sun smiled down on us on the first day of spring.
The leaves danced in the wind
Personification
An essay (an organized omposition with a
thesis) designed to PERSUADE, or convince, the reader to agree with an opinion, or to take a certain action.
Persuasive essay
The series of events making up a narrative.
« First this happened, then this happened, then this… »
Plot
The narrator’s position in relation to the story
being told. First person: The narrator is a participant in the
story, often the main character. Clues: « I », « me »
Second person: The story is told TO the reader, as if the reader were part of the story. Clues : « you open the door… » (This is rarely used in literature)
Third person: The narrator is outside the story, describing what happens Clues: « She went… » « He said » etc. (There are several kinds of 3rd person POV)
Point of View
A line of reasoning which talks about the
points in favour of (pro) and against (con) an idea or action.
Pro and Con argument
The main character of a narrative. Generally, the one introduced in the
exposition, who undergoes the conflict.
EG: In The Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist. In the Harry Potter series, Harry is the protagonist.
Protagonist
The stanza of a poem that is repeated. In a
poem set to music (a song), we sometimes call this a chorus.
Refrain
Authors use the same word(s) or phrase(s)
over and over for emphasis.
To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells - Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells - To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!Edgar Allan Poe— ’The Bells’
Repetition
The point in a narrative where the conflict is
settled and over. Usually near the end, and before the dénouement (if any).
Resolution
Usually at the end of lines of poetry, rhyme is
when two words are the same from their stressed vowel until the end of the words.
Ex: cat/flat/scat/mat/pat/thatEx: pride/hide/subside/derideEx: extremely/unseemly/seemly
Rhyme
A way of showing the rhymes in a poem. Generally we replace the rhyme sound at the
end of a line with A. Whenever that sound appears, put an A. The next sound is B, and so on.
EX: Now on land and sea descending (A)Brings the night its peace profound (B)Let our vesper hymn be blending (A)With the holy calm around. (B)The rhyme scheme here is ABAB.
Rhyme Scheme
The part of a story between the exposition and
the climax.
In this part of the story, the tension gets stronger and stronger, and the conflict is developed.
Rising Action
Round characters have many personality
traits. They seem almost like real people.
Round character
The seting of a poem or a story has TWO
parts:
The TIME (date, or era… »the 60s » or « in medieval times »)
The PLACE (England, a small town in the USA, New York City, the Okanagan Valley)
Setting
A comparison of two unlike things which uses
« like » or « as ».
Her smile was as bright as the sun Life is like a box of chocolates—you never
know what you’re going to get.
Simile
The speaker in a poem functions like the
narrator in a story. It is the person who is « telling » the story, even if he or she is a fictional character.
It is very important to know the difference between narrator/speaker and the AUTHOR.
Speaker
A group of lines in a poem is called a stanza.
The « paragraph » of poetry!
Stanza
Static characters are the opposite of dynamic
ones. They do not undergo any significant changes in a story.
For example, Homer Simpson never learns anything from all his silly mistakes. He is a static character.
Static character
A stock or stereotyped character is one who
can be summed up in a couple of words, or a short phrase.
Mad scientist. Protective dad Soccer mom
You often don’t learn much more about the character than these few words. Can you picture each one of these?
Stock/Stereotyped Character
In writing, a combination of diction (word
choice), and sentence structure.
For different purposes, authors might choose short sentences, and simple words, or complex sentences and more precise language.
Style
When you are uncertain what will happen next
in a story, and you are anxious to find out what it is…you are in suspense
Suspense
A symbol is a THING in a story or poem which
stands for or replaces another thing.
EG: The stars and stripes represents the United States
EG: the moon might represent mystery or magic in a story
Symbol
The « point » of a story or poem; the lesson about
life or about people in general that it teaches.
« Love » is not a theme—it is a topic. « True love is hard to find » could be a theme.
« Winning » is not a theme. « In order to win, one must sacrifice » could be a
theme. NOTE: When stating a theme, students MUST NOT
sound like they are giving their teacher advice!« You have to sacrifice to win » No, I don’t!
Theme
Any story written in third person POV uses
mostly the pronouns « he », « she » and « they ». The narrating character is not actively involved in the story.
There are several kinds of 3rd person POV: objective, limited omniscient, and omniscient.
Third person POV
The author’s attitude toward the subject of a
story or poem.
If a poem is about dogs, the author might be praising dogs’ loyalty, she might be making fun of dogs, or she might be thinking back fondly on her pet dog.
These would be a supportive tone, a mocking tone, or a reminiscent tone.
Tone
Poetry is sometimes called « verse » (e.g. He
wrote his whole essay in verse! Wow!)
A line of poetry is called a verse. Eg: In Act 1, Scene 2, Verses 4-7, Polonius
says…
Verse
There are five registers
Intimate –language of lovers, sexual harrassment (not for public use!
Casual (informal) –talking to family, friends, slang Consultative – talking to teachers/lawyers/bosses
(asking for help) Formal/Academic – public speaking, job interviews,
writing for class Frozen – fixed: National Anthem, Lord’s Prayer, etc.
(doesn’t change) ALL WORK HANDED IN TO YOUR TEACHER SHOULD BE IN THE
CONSULTATIVE OR FORMAL REGISTERS!
Rough copies may be in a casual register, but this will not be accepted for portfolios!
Register