A. LITERARY
TERMS
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“Sniper”
“Thank You M’am”
“The Golden Kite, The Silver Wind”
The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Sounder
Number the Stars
“The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”
1. VERBAL IRONY
 Character
says one thing but means
another (sarcasm).
2. SITUATIONAL IRONY
 Story
ends differently than what the
audience thought.
3. DRAMATIC IRONY
 When
the audience knows something
the character in the story does not.
4. THEME
 The
message of the story.
5. MOOD
 How
the reader feels.
6. TONE
 Authors
attitude towards the story.
7. EXPOSITION
 Beginning
of the story.
8. RISING ACTION
 The
action before the climax.
9. CLIMAX
 The
turning point of the story.
10. FALLING ACTION
 The
action after the climax.
11. RESOLUTION/DENOUEMENT
 How
the story is resolved.
12. FORESHADOWING
 Statement
that helps predict what is
happening next.
13. FLASHBACK
 An
event that happened in the past.
14. AUTHORS INTENDED AUDIENCE
 Who
the author is writing to.
15. PURPOSE
 Why
the author is writing.
Examples:
a. To inform
b. To share
c. To entertain
d. To describe
e. To persuade
16. POINT OF VIEW
a.
b.
c.
d.
1. First person – narrator is in the
story (I)
2. Third-person limited – narrator
is telling the story about one
character
3. Third-person omniscient –
narrator is telling the story about
all characters
4. Third-person objective – narrator
tells the story but gives no opinion.
17. CULTURAL CUE
 Clues
that tell where the story is
taking place.
18. HISTORICAL CUE
 Clues
that tell it’s a part of history.
19. ALLEGORY
 When
a situation teaches you a
lesson.
20. PARODY
 When
the story makes fun of
something serious.
21. PARADOX
 The
story sounds wrong, but it’s
right.
22. SYMBOL
 When
something represents
something else. (like omens or
warnings or signs)
23. CLASSICAL ALLUSION
 Reference
to to a classical story,
religion, work of art, song, or poem.
24. HISTORICAL ALLUSION
 Reference
to something in history.
25. LITERARY ALLUSION
 Reference
to another story.
B. POETRY TERMS
“The Road Not Taken”
 “Woman’s Work”
 “I, too, Sing America”
 “O Captain! My Captain!”
 “Sick”
 “Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day”
 “Charge of the Light Brigade”

1. IDIOM

Don’t’ literally mean what is being said.

Example: It’s raining cats and dogs.
2. METAPHOR

Compare to unlike things NOT using like or as.

Example: his legs were rubber
3. SIMILE

Compare to unlike things USING like or as.

Example: his wings are like clouds
4. PERSONIFICATION

Something sounds human but is not.

Example: the trees felt satisfied
5. HYPERBOLE

Major exaggeration

Example: I could eat a horse
6. PUN

Playing around with words
Example: 7 days without pizza makes 1 weak.
 Example: I used to be a baker, but I ran out of
dough.

7. SYMBOL


Something represents something else.
Example: Have you ever come to a fork in the
road? (means having two choices)
8. MOOD

How the reader feels while reading.
9. TONE

Author’s attitude
10.RHYME

When words sound the same.

Example: tells, bells, yells (they rhyme)
11. INTERNAL RHYME

Words that rhyme in the same line of poetry.
Example:
Once upon a midnight dreary, I pondered weary.

12. SLANT RHYME


Works that kind of rhyme, not exactly in poetry.
Example: That perches in the soul.
And never stops at all.
13. END RHYME


Words that rhyme at the end of the line in poetry.
Example: Jaws flaming red
Toast my bread.
14. RHYTHM

The beat of a line of poetry
15. REPETITION

Repeating a word or phrase over and over again.
16. ALLITERATION

Repetition of sound

Example: Peter picked a pickled pepper.
17. ONOMATOPOEIA

Words that make a sound.

Example: Sizzle! Boom! Crackle!
18. LYRIC POEM

A poem that expresses feelings and thoughts.
19. EPIC POEM

Poem that tells the adventures of a hero.
20. SONNET POEM

A poem with 14 lines.
21. DRAMATIC POEM

A poem that can be performed on stage.
22. BALLAD POEM

A poem that is a love story.
C. DRAMA TERMS