Literary Terms

Question 1

Question: What is the author’s purpose?

Answer 1

Answer: The reason an author writes.
Example: To encourage the citizens of America to stand together through this tragedy.

Question 2

Question: What is a rhetorical device?

Answer 2

Answer: Figurative language such as repetition or parallelism to effect an audience.
Example: Berlin was flattened during the bombing.

Question 3

Question: What is a symbol?

Answer 3

Answer: An object, person, or place stands for something else.
Example: The heron symbols the mom and company.

Question 4

Question: What is theme?

Answer 4

Answer: Underlying message the author wants the reader to understand.
Example: The theme is that some people cannot be trusted.

Question 5

Question: What is an inference?

Answer 5

Answer: Prediction in the story; logical assumption.
Example: I infer that their relationship will grow as they are more in contact.

Question 6

Question: What is parallelism?

Answer 6

Answer: Pattern of words or sentence structure.
Example: He likes playing baseball and running, he likes to play baseball and run.

Question 7

Question: What is repetition?

Answer 7

Answer: Repeat a sound or word for emphasis.
Example: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Question 8

Question: What is text structure?

Answer 8

Answer: Arrangement of the story; novel, poem, essay.
Example: Speech, chronical order.

Question 9

Question: What is a simile?

Answer 9

Answer: Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using like or as.
Example: Her blue eyed stare was like ice.

Question 10

Question: What is supporting textual evidence?

Answer 10

Answer: Material to prove a claim.
Example: April is so wildly confused that she actually hated Caroline because it was all her fault.

Question 11

Question: What is a metaphor?

Answer 11

Answer: Compare to things. State one that is the other.
Example: Time is money.