Literary Terms:
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Alliteration - noun use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line
of verse
Autobiography - noun a biography of yourself
Antagonist - noun a drug that neutralizes or counteracts the effects of another drug; a muscle
that relaxes while another contracts; someone who offers opposition
Biography - noun an account of the series of events making up a person's life
Climax - noun the decisive moment in a novel or play; arrangement of clauses in ascending order
of forcefulness; the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or
unfolding; the most severe stage of a disease; the moment of most intense pleasure in sexual
intercourse; verb end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage
Conflict - noun an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); an incompatibility
of dates or events; opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings; opposition
in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that
motivates the development of the plot); a state of opposition between persons or ideas or
interests; a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; a disagreement or
argument about something important; verb go against, as of rules and laws; be in conflict
Characterization - noun the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features;
acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and
action and gesture; a graphic or vivid verbal description
Exposition - noun (music) the section of a movement (especially in sonata form) where the
major musical themes first occur; an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing
or discourse; a systematic interpretation or explanation (usually written) of a specific topic; a
collection of things (goods or works of art etc.) for public display
Flashback - noun a transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to an earlier event or scene
that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story; an unexpected but vivid
recurrence of a past experience (especially a recurrence of the effects of an hallucinogenic drug
taken much earlier)
Foreshadowing - adj. indistinctly prophetic; noun the act of providing vague advance indications;
representing beforehand
Foreboding - adj. ominously prophetic; noun an unfavorable omen; a feeling of evil to come
Genre - noun a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique; a
kind of literary or artistic work; an expressive style of music; a style of expressing yourself in
writing
Hyperbole - noun extravagant exaggeration
Imagery - noun the ability to form mental images of things or events
Memoir - noun an essay on a scientific or scholarly topic; an account of the author's personal
experiences
Oxymoron - noun conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')
Paradox - noun (logic) a statement that contradicts itself
Onomatopoeia - noun using words that imitate the sound they denote
Personification - noun the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.;
representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature; a person who represents an
abstract quality
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Point of View - noun the spatial property of the position from which something is observed; a
mental position from which things are viewed
Plot - noun a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal); the
story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.; a chart or map showing the movements or
progress of an object; a small area of ground covered by specific vegetation; verb plan secretly,
usually something illegal; make a plat of; make a schematic or technical drawing of that shows
how things work or how they are constructed
Resolution - noun finding a solution to a problem; a decision to do something or to behave in a
certain manner; analysis into clear-cut components; a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to
by a vote; (music) a dissonant chord is followed by a consonant chord; the subsidence of
swelling or other signs of inflammation (especially in a lung); (computer science) the number of
pixels per square inch on a computer-generated display; the greater the resolution, the better
the picture; the trait of being resolute; something settled or resolved; the outcome of decision
making; a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem; the ability of a
microscope or telescope to measure the angular separation of images that are close together
Simile - noun a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds
(usually formed with `like' or `as')
Metaphor - noun a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it
does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
New Vocabulary:
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Affiliated - adj. being joined in close association
Ascertain - verb learn or discover with certainty; be careful or certain to do something; make
certain of something; establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study;
find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort
Attainment - noun arrival at a new stage; the act of achieving an aim; an ability that has been
acquired by training
Bequeath - verb leave or give by will after one's death
Cogent - adj. powerfully persuasive
Converge - verb come together so as to form a single product; move or draw together at a
certain location; be adjacent or come together; approach a limit as the number of terms
increases without limit
Disperse - verb move away from each other; to cause to separate and go in different directions;
cause to separate; cause to become widely known; distribute loosely
Esteem - noun the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded); an
attitude of admiration or esteem; a feeling of delighted approval and liking; verb look on as or
consider; regard highly; think much of
Expunge - verb remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
Finite - adj. bounded or limited in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent; of verbs; relating to
forms of the verb that are limited in time by a tense and (usually) show agreement with number
and person
Invulnerable - adj. immune to attack; impregnable
Malevolent - adj. wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or
hatred; having or exerting a malignant influence
Nonchalant - adj. marked by blithe unconcern
Omniscient - adj. infinitely wise
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Panacea - noun hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists;
(Greek mythology) the goddess of healing; daughter of Aesculapius and sister of Hygeia
Scrupulous - adj. having scruples; arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled;
characterized by extreme care and great effort
Skulk - verb move stealthily; avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill; lie in
wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
Supercilious - adj. expressive of contempt; having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain
of those one views as unworthy
Uncanny - adj. suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; surpassing the ordinary or
normal
Venial - adj. easily excused or forgiven; warranting only temporal punishment
KEEP CALM AND STUDY FOR EXAMS
Of Mice and Men
Characters
Plot
Symbols
Reading Comprehension
Writing a Paragraph/ Giving a Quote • Put title of passage and line # in parenthesis AFTER the quote For
example: "If you like it then you should have put a ring on it" ("Ring on It," line 23)