Literary Terms Flashcards
What is Author’s purpose?
The reason the author writes
Ex: To inform, entertain, or persuade
What are Rhetorical Devices?
Techniques writers use to enhance their writing and communicate more effectively
Ex: Repetition or Parallelism
What is Symbol?
A person, place, object, or activity that stands for something else.
Ex: The bird from “Night Calls” symbolizes hope for the girls and her father’s relationship.
What is Theme?
Underlying message / Central idea
Ex: love, war, betrayal
What is Inference?
A prediction / logical assumption
Ex: If someone slams a door, you can infer that they are either upset or angry.
What is Parallelism?
Pattern of words or sentence structure
Ex: Let it snow, Let it go
What is Repetition?
Repeat of a sound or word for emphasis
Ex: Its okay not to be okay
What is Text Structure?
Arrangement of the story Ex: -sequence/process -description -time order/chronology -proposition/support -compare/contrast -problem/solution -cause/effect
What is a Simile?
Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things; using “like” or “as”
Ex: Her blue-eyed stare was cold as ice.
What is Supporting Textual Evidence?
Facts in writing and the strategies used to figure out weather or not the information is factual.
Ex: On page 9 in line 5-10, the text states, “….” This evidence means….
What is a Metaphor?
Figure of speech that compares two things; stating one is the other
Ex: John’s suggestion was just a Band-Aid for the problem.
What is claim / Point of View?
Claim: Argument made by the writer or speaker Point of View: A particular attitude or way of considering a matter. Ex: Point of the argument, first person ( I ), third person (They)
What is Mood?
The overall feeling or atmosphere of the story
Ex: In a thriller most readers will feel some sort of suspense
What is Foreshadowing?
A warning or indication of a future event
Ex: certain colors or animals, “I have a bad feeling about this…”
What is a Extended Metaphor?
A metaphor introduced and then further developed throughout all or part of a literary work.
Ex: poems