Reading Literature Flashcards
Literary texts
stories, dramas, poems
Inference
to come to a reasonable conclusion based on the evidence given
Explicit
when the author tells the reader exactly what he/she needs to know
Theme
the lesson or message taught by the story or passage
Central Idea
the most important point or idea of the passage (main idea)
Objective Summary
an overview of the passage with little to no detail; just the main points
Characterization
how the author develops the character over the course of the story
Setting
where and when the story takes place
Plot
the order of events that make up the story
Resolution
when the problem in the story is resolved (solved)
Dialogue
the exact words that the characters are speaking
Incident
something that occurs in the story; it can show something about the character, advance the story forward, or provoke the character to make a decision
Propel
when the dialogue (something the character says) or an incident causes something new to happen in the story
Figurative Language
a saying that cannot be taken literally
Personification
when a writer describes an object as if it is a person
Simile
comparing two things using “like” or “as”
Metaphor
comparing two things by saying that one is the other (calling someone a name)
Hyperbole
an exaggeration
Idiom
a saying that cannot be taken literally but has an alternate meaning
Alliteration
Using the same consonant sounds at the beginning of close words
Allusion
mentioning something without referring to it specifically (calling someone a Scrooge)
Connotations
a positive or negative meaning that we attach to a word
Tone
the author’s attitude toward the subject or character he is writing about (word choice gives it away)
Analogy
the relationship between two things or words
Text Structure
how a text is organized to show the relationship between ideas or information given
Chronological
the order in which a series of events happened
Cause and Effect
one thing causes another to happen
Compare and Contrast
compare: how two things are alike
contrast: how two things are different
Flashback
shifts in the story line to give readers background needed for better understanding
Foreshadow
hints of what is to come in the story
Point of View
The perspective from which a story is told (1st: I; 2nd: you; 3rd: they)
Dramatic Irony
The reader knows something that the characters does not
Genre
a category of text; fiction or nonfiction
