Unit 1 Coming of Age
active voice
a grammatical voice where the subject performs the action stated by the verb
alliteration
the repetition of a single letter or combination of letters at the beginning of adjacent or nearby words
allusion
a reference in a text to another well-known text, person, event or thing
analysis
in literature, studying a text in order to determine its most important features
anaphora
a rhetorical feature that uses the same word or phrase at the beginning of clauses, phrases, or lines of poetry for effect
archetype
an ideal example or model after which other things are patterned.
assonance
the repetition of sound between internal vowels in adjacent or nearby words
audience
the assembled spectators or listeners at a public event, such as a play, movie, concert, or meeting.
autobiography
the history of a person's life, as told by that person
Bildungsroman
a coming-of-age story; a story in which a young person has experiences that transform him or her into an adult
blank verse
unrhymed verse that has a set meter, pattern, and line length
cadence
the internal rhythm of a poem
characterization
how an author creates a clear picture of a character for the reader
claim
an assertion of the truth of something, typically one that is disputed or in doubt.
clause
a group of words that has a subject and its predicate
coming-of-age story
a story that traces the main character's growth from childhood through maturity
compare
looking at how elements between two subjects are similar in literature
conflict
in literature, a struggle between opposing forces; challenges in the story that a main character has to confront and overcome
connotation
the deeper meaning of the word; how the word feels or the emotions it elicits
connotative meaning
the meanings and feelings we associate with a word, as opposed to the dictionary definition of that word
context
all of the information that must be considered when judging a person, place, or idea; the social or historical forces that shape a person, place, or idea; when referring to a text, the text that surrounds an unknown word or phrase
contrast
looking at how elements between two subjects are different in literature
decode
to break down a word into its component parts so you can understand it
denotation
the literal definition of a word
denotative meaning
the actual, dictionary definition of a word
dependent clause
a clause that cannot stand alone but rather depends on the rest of the sentence to express a complete thought; also called a subordinate clause
euphemism
a word or phrase that is used instead of one with unpleasant or offensive connotations
evidence
the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
fantasy
literature that is based in imagination, rather than reality
figurative language
using non-literal words and phrases to draw attention to something’s qualities, themes, or symbolic meaning; words and phrases used imaginatively to go beyond the literal meaning
free verse
poetry with no set meter; can be either rhymed or unrhymed
genre
in literature, a category of text that includes specific elements and characteristics
historical context
the geographic, social, political, and economic events that help shape and define any historical time period
imagery
the use of language to give a picture in one's mind
independent clause
a clause that can stand alone as a sentence
inference
determining meaning not from things told explicitly but rather drawing conclusions based on implications in the text
infinitive
the basic form of a verb, without an inflection binding it to a particular subject or tense
inflection
a change in the pitch of one's voice
irony
a contrast between what is stated and what is meant; when what happens is different from what is expected
lyric poetry
a poem that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet
meter
the beat or rhythm of poetry
modify
to describe another word in a sentence
motif
a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.
narrative nonfiction
prose writing that tells a true story
nonrestrictive clause
an adjective clause that adds extra or nonessential information to a sentence
novella
an abbreviated novel or extended short story
paraphrase
a restatement of a quote in literature, in different words from the original
participle
is a word formed from a verb which can be used as an adjective.
passive voice
a grammatical voice where the subject is acted upon by the verb
phrase
a group of words that functions as a noun, verb, or other single part of speech
plot
the events that structure a story
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
procedural text
a text which gives instructions on how to do something.
prose poem
a type of literature that combines features of both prose and poetry
protagonist
the main character in a story or novel; the "hero"
purpose
an author's goal when writing a novel; what a writer is hoping to achieve with their work
quotation
an exact reference or passage from a literary work
reader-friendly
prepared to be suited for readers
rhetorical features
the aspects of a speech that add interest or the use of effective or persuasive language
rite of passage
a formal or informal ceremony or event which marks a major transition in a person's life
sarcasm
the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
setting
the place, time, and social context of a text
Shakespearean sonnet
a poem composed of three quatrains and a terminal couplet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg.
soliloquy
a dramatic technique in which a character speaks when alone, usually used to communicate thoughts to the audience
stanza
two or more lines of poetry that make up the smaller groupings within the poem
structure
the way an author arranges and organizes the poem
subjunctive mood
a verb phrase that expresses a condition which is doubtful or not factual.
symbolism
attaching a deeper meaning, beyond the literal definition, to a person, object, or place
theme
the central message or underlying idea of a work of literature; a message about a particular topic being communicated through the text
thesis
a statement that directly expresses the author’s purpose in writing the paper
tone
the speaker's attitude toward the audience or subject, as demonstrated through the author's choice of words, grammatical structure, and details
vernacular
common or everyday language
word choice
the way a writer chooses specific words to convey tone or meaning
Unit 2 The Struggle Against Injustice
allegory
in literature, the use of characters, actions, objects, settings, or events to represent ideas and generalities
analogy
a relationship between things or words determined by a comparison based on similar qualities or resemblances
anthropomorphic
described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes; giving human characteristics to nonhuman things
antonym
a word that means the opposite of another word
bias
prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
character flaw
limitation of or weakness in a character, which often leads to failure or downfall
characterization
in literature, the way an author presents and develops characters
communism
a political and economic system with a central authority that controls production, all resources owned by the state, and economic goods equally distributed to all individuals who have no private ownership of land or property
conflict
a struggle that occurs in a story (can be struggle between characters; struggle between a character and an external force; struggle within a character)
context
the words that surround a word or passage and clarify its meaning
etymology
origin of a word determined by its transmission between languages and the analysis of each word part or component
explicit
directly stated; fully revealed; clearly expressed
foreshadowing
hint or indication of something that will occur later in the story
homonym
a word that sounds the same as another word and has the same or similar spelling, but which has a different meaning
implicit
not directly stated; understood from something else that is expressed
interpretation
the act of explaining the significance of something in a work of literature
media
the main means of mass communication (especially television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet) regarded collectively.
metaphor
a figure of speech or type of figurative language that directly compares two unlike things, without using the words like or as
motive
in literature, the reason a character does or says something
pacing
the speed at which a story is told
personification
attributing human characteristics to inanimate objects
plot
the sequence of events in a literary work
point of view
the viewpoint or perspective from which a story is told
satire
literary work intended to scorn or ridicule immoral and foolish human behavior by using ironic humor
setting
the time and place in which a story takes place
simile
a comparison between two unlike things or ideas, using the words like or as
socialism
an economic system based on all individuals given the same means to develop skills used to contribute to labor; individual wealth based on what each person contributes in labor
synonym
a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word
theme
the central message in a work of literature
thesaurus
a reference book similar to a dictionary, with lists of word synonyms and antonyms rather than definitions
thesis statement
the sentence in an essay that presents the main point of your writing or the argument you are trying to defend
third-person point of view
telling a story through a narrator that speaks for all the characters and knows what they think and feel
timbre
quality and resonance of sound
tone
an author's attitude toward the subject, characters, or readers of a literary work
Unit 3 Fighting for Freedom
affix
an additional element (such as a prefix or suffix) placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a root, stem, or word to modify its meaning
allusion
in literature or art, a reference in a work to something outside of the work
analyze
to carefully examine a text, subject, or event in order to fully understand and appreciate it
artistic medium
the material or form used by an artist
central idea
in literature, the main focus or aim of a book or story
character development
how characters change throughout a story
character motivation
the reasons or feelings that drive a character to act in a certain way
characterization
in literature, the way an author presents and develops characters
classic literature
literature that crosses geographical, time, and cultural boundaries to hold a special place for the world’s readers
clause
a group of words that has a subject and its predicate
complex character
in literature, a fully developed character who displays a range qualities
conflicting motivation
the needs of a character colliding, often as a result of internal conflict or a struggle with external forces
connotation
what a word suggests beyond its dictionary, or literal, meaning
connotative meaning
the meaning implied or suggested by a word, rather than its literal, dictionary meaning
context
the words that surround a word or passage and clarify its meaning
cultural experience
the many aspects and influences of life in a particular culture, including but not limited to art, food, dress, and customs
essay
a nonfiction work about a particular topic
external conflict
in literature, struggle between characters or between a character and an outside force
figurative language
language not intended to be interpreted literally, such as metaphor (comparison of a thing to something unlike it) and irony (a device that usually expresses a difference between the appearance of things and reality)
figurative meaning
implied meaning of a word or phrase based on the image it creates in readers' minds
foreshadowing
hint or indication of something that will occur later in the story
free verse
poetry that does not have a regular rhyme scheme
historical context
the conditions of a place at a particular time
inference
a conclusion based on information that's directly or indirectly stated in a text
inferred meaning
a definition arrived at from using context clues or other strategies
internal conflict
in literature, a struggle a character faces within himself or herself
literary nonfiction
a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create nonfiction
metaphor
a figure of speech or type of figurative language that directly compares two unlike things, without using the words like or as
multiple meaning words
words that mean more than one thing
nonfiction
writing that presents information about real people, places, or events
parallel structure
in grammar, expressing similar or related ideas in the same grammatical pattern
personification
attributing human characteristics to inanimate objects
phrase
a group of words without a subject or verb
plot
the sequence of events in a literary work
point of view
the viewpoint or perspective from which a story is told
representation
in literature or visual art, the way a subject is presented; a particular style or point of view
rhetoric
the art of using language effectively and persuasively
rhetorical question
a question that’s asked to produce an effect or to make a point, not to elicit a reply
root
a word or word element from which other words are formed, usually by the addition of prefixes and suffixes
simile
a comparison between two unlike things or ideas, using the words like or as
sound devices
in poetry, techniques such as rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration, that have the effect of making language similar to music
strategies
approaches to understanding words, including examining context, looking at word parts, and consulting reference materials
structure
in poetry, how a poem is grouped into words, single lines, and stanzas (groups of lines)
style
the way in which something is written or spoken
summary
a brief restatement of the central idea and the most important details in a text
symbol
a person, place, thing, or event that represents something else
theme
the central message in a work of literature
thesis
central idea of an essay
tone
an author's attitude toward the subject, characters, or readers of a literary work