LITERARY DEVICES/LANGUAGE Q1 KEY TERMS

DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION Character = a person in the story, play, etc. Dynamic = characters that develop or change during the story

DIALECT A particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group. The way a person talks. “That grit-work aint no place for you. And besides, I ain’t never heard of no girls to be doing that. You need to be getting yourself a real summer job, something civilized.”

POINT OF VIEW Who is telling the story 1 st = “I” (I tell MY story) 2 nd = “you” (not used very often) 3 rd = “she, he, they, etc.” (someone else is telling the story.) Omniscient = all-knowing OR limited (the person telling the story only knows some of the events)

PLOT The events in a story Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution

SUSPENSE A feeling of curiosity, tension, or excitement

IRONY When you expect one thing, but something different happens

NARRATOR The person who tells the story

CREDIBILITY Being believable or trustworthy

MOOD / TONE Mood = The way you feel Tone = A particular style or manner, as of writing or speech. The way the author makes you feel.

THEME The life lesson of a text

OXYMORON Using opposite words next to each other for the use of effect. Examples = jumbo shrimp (This is an oxymoron because JUMBO means big, but SHRIMP means small.)

OXYMORON Places words that are in opposition beside each other Examples: Cruel kindness Cold hotdog Good breakup Alone together Same difference Jumbo shrimp Healthy tan Boneless wings / boneless ribs Cold sweat Common sense Found missing Wind burn Whole piece

HYPERBOLE An exaggeration for the sake of emphasis Examples I was so hungry I could eat a horse! I called you a million times last night! I walked a hundred miles to get across the school!

METAPHOR A comparison of two UNLIKE things, NOT using the words LIKE or AS Example A high school diploma is the key that will give you the potential to unlock many doors later in life. Boo is like a turtle who will not come out.

SIMILE Comparing two unlike things, using the words LIKE or AS Examples Every day, the government spends money like McDonalds sells hamburgers! He is as high as a kite!

IDIOMS A group of words that has special meaning that is very different from the ordinary meaning. String someone along Hit the ceiling Bite the bullet Jump the gun

EUPHEMISMS A word or group of words substituted for a word that is not nice (distasteful or offensive). Examples: Bombing attacks called “efforts” When pilots went on missions, they were called “visiting a site” Warplanes called “weapons systems” Buildings as targets called “hard targets”

PERSONIFICATION Giving something that is not a person a quality that only humans have. Example: the tree swayed in the wind.

ALLUSION When you refer to something (a book, a movie, a historical event, etc.) that people know about. “…Maycomb County had been told it had nothing to fear but fear itself”(Lee 5). This tells the reader that it was in the 1930s when President Roosevelt made his famous speech.