Author’s Purpose
0 argue
0 condemn
0 describe
0 enlighten
0 entertain
0 explain
0 express
0 illustrate
0 inform
0 instruct
0 investigate
0 narrate
0 persuade
0 report
0 teach
0 warn
Author’s Tone
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
arrogant
compassionate
critical
cynical
defensive
humorous
impartial
inspirational
ironic
moralizing
nostalgic
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
patriotic
perplexed
pessimistic
reflective
reverent
satirical
sentimental
serious
witty
Ask yourself these questions
to help determine the
author’s attitude.
0 What is the author's purpose in writing?
0 Has the author presented all sides of an argument?
0 If so, is the article balanced toward all positions or
biased toward one?
0 Is there enough evidence to support each side?
0 Is the evidence reliable and convincing?'
0 Does the author use words that convey emotion?
0 Does the article seem to present propaganda?
Practice
Conserving water is important for our environment, future
generations, and your wallet. Most people don't realize this,
but water is a finite resource. All the water we will ever have
is on the planet right now. It is important to consider this
when thinking about the importance of water
conservation. If we are not good stewards of water, our
future generations will suffer for it. Fresh drinking water
resources are limited for people, but also remember that
animals and water species also depend on it for life. It is
important for us to think about and facilitate their survival in
addition to our own. Cutting back on the water used during
showers or for watering plants outdoors can also help save
you money.
Study Island’s Answer
The author's purpose for writing this passage is to
convince readers that water conservation is
important. He or she presents the argument by
discussing reasons why saving water is important. The
author's attitude in this passage is serious.
Writing Purpose
0 Describe: Some writing describes something or how to do
something. For example, the directions that come with a
cell phone have the purpose of describing how set up voice
mail, check text messages, and so forth.
0
0
Inform: Some writing has the purpose of informing. Most
news articles in the newspaper are written to inform. A
biography usually has the purpose of informing the reader
about the person's life.
Persuade: Some writing is written for the purpose of
persuasion. A good example of persuasive writing is the
writing found in advertisements. Advertisements are
designed to persuade you to buy a certain
product. Speeches by politicians are also examples of
persuasive writing.
Writing Purpose
0 Narrate: Narration has the purpose of telling
a story. The narrator relates a series of events.
0
Entertain: Some writing has the purpose of
entertaining. The comic strips in the
newspaper are there to entertain the readers
with humor. A mystery novel and a fairy tale
are also good examples of writing that have
the purpose of entertaining.
Word Choice
0 Author’s choice of words to show how something
feels, looks, or acts. These words give the reader a
better idea of what is happening in the story. They can
show you how exciting something is or how
happy/unhappy a person feels.
Example
0 The ivory tower’s pointed cap rose in the distance as
we walked through the olive green grass. I looked to
my right and a palm tree loomed. Its emerald green
leaves strained toward the sky and the ground all at
once. The tree’s tan trunk was a pineapple-like
scaffold.
0 What do the descriptive words add to the passage?
Language Sets Mood
0 The long, dark road unwound before Chris like a
serpent striking its prey. The car’s windshield was
continuously covered in a fine spray of water as the
wipers swung back and forth like a pendulum.
Through the blurry grass, Chris could just make out a
figure in the darkness.
0 Chris was driving in the rain. It was dark outside. She
could barely see in front of her.
Author’s Style
0 Style is the manner of presenting material, including
usage, punctuation, organization, and tone. By
manipulating these stylistic factors, different
meanings are achieved.
How to Achieve Style
0 Authors use quotations, questions, or visual
formatting of a text to add meaning.
The hours
shorter
than
a
second
when you are near.
The minutes
longer than centuries when you are gone.
How is the effectiveness of the
poem changed?
The hours shorter than a second
when you are near.
The minutes longer than centuries
when you are gone.
Main Idea
0 The idea that most of the passage covers.
0 Supporting details: The sentences that explain,
describe, or support the main idea
What Should I Look For?
0 Why did the author write this passage?
0 What is the point he/she is trying to make?
0 What is the passage mostly about?
0 What idea is conveyed in the passage?
Example
Once winter is gone and spring officially arrives, it is
time to enjoy longer days, warm weather, and new
seasonal produce. During the spring, many vegetables
and fruits are at their peaks. This includes green beans,
corn, sweet onions, peas, greens, and squash. On the
fruit front, apples, citrus fruits, and pears have made
way for juicy stone fruit, like peaches, nectarines, and
plums. Melons and berries are also available in the
spring.
What is the main idea of this passage?
Answer
0 Many seasonal fruits and vegetables hit their peak
during the spring.
Summary
0 A shorter way to tell about the events or details of a
passage.
0 It includes only the most important details or events.
Practice
A new zoo in Louisiana has many of the usual zoo
attractions. Its goal is even similar to most zoos—to
preserve wild animals and educate the public. However,
the Louisiana Audubon Nature Center is more than just
a wildlife center. It has a planetarium, a forest, and
special frozen zoo.
The primary goal of the Nature Center is to save
species from extinction. The real work in this zoo is
behind the scenes. While tourists visit the different
animals in the zoo, scientists are working to prevent
extinction. They hope the frozen zoo will protect all the
animals and birds on Earth.
The frozen zoo does not have live animals in
cages. Instead, it has live cells of different animals in
liquid nitrogen tanks. Liquid nitrogen preserves these
tiny building blocks safely. The cells should be safe for
hundreds of years. The zoo has the cells of over 1,000
species saved. If one species becomes endangered or
extinct, scientists can defrost the cells and bring the
species back.
The future is promising for the different animals
struggling to survive. More zoos are getting involved in
the frozen zoo project. Environmentalists are working
to save habitats. Hopefully, animals will be saved from
extinction and given a safe place to live.
Practice Questions
1. Which sentence shows an idea that would be
important to include in a summary of this passage?
A. "The zoo has the cells of over 1,000 species saved."
B. "While tourists visit the different animals in the
zoo . . ."
C. "Hopefully, animals will be saved from extinction . . ."
D. "More zoos are getting involved in the frozen zoo
project."
2. Which of the following is the best summary of the story above?
A. A zoo is freezing animal cells to preserve the species. They have
saved cells from over 1,000 different animals. These cells are
frozen in liquid nitrogen by scientists who are working to prevent
extinction. These cells can be defrosted.
B. The Louisiana Audubon Nature Center preserves wild animals
from extinction by freezing the cells of its animals in liquid
nitrogen. The hope is that should the animals become extinct, the
zoo will have their cells on hand to bring them back.
C. In Louisiana, a zoo has animal cells frozen in liquid
nitrogen. Scientists are preserving these cells to prevent animal
extinction. There are no cages to see in the frozen zoo. A zoo's goal
is to preserve animals while also educating the public.
D. The Louisiana Audubon Nature Center consists of a planetarium,
forest, and frozen zoo. Many tourists visit the zoo, while scientists
are hard at work. The frozen zoo, unlike other parts of the zoo, is
not a display of cages or habitats for animals.
Inferences and Conclusions
0 Making guesses about things not directly stated in the
passage.
0 Use details as clues to help you figure things out.
Tips for Making Inferences
0 Read a passage carefully.
0 Look for details about what a person does. What do the person’s
0
0
0
0
actions tell you? What can you conclude about the person’s
traits?
Look for details that describe a place or event. Based on real life,
what do those details tell you?
Look for facts given in a nonfiction passage. What do those facts
mean overall?
Analyze why the author discusses and describes the topic. What
can you tell about the author from his or her writing? How does
he/she feel about the topic?
Make an inference or conclusion about something in the passage.
Find the details that led you to that conclusion.
Practice Story
A Coffee Complication
0 Based on her behavior, what can be inferred about
Lane’s character?
Lane is disorganized.
B. Lane is constantly alert.
C. Lane likes structure.
D. Lane is very laid back.
A.
Answer
The correct answer is C. Lane likes structure. Notice
how Lane dismisses several different answers to her
problem when she realizes that it will mess up her
schedule. She also has a routine for getting up and
moving each morning that she follows without
thinking. The speaker even says, “if nothing else, she
could follow a routine.”
Practice Question
0 What can the reader infer will most likely happen
next?
A. Lane will go through the day without coffee.
B. Lane will go to a coffee shop to buy a cup of coffee.
C. Lane will run to the store to buy what she needs to
make coffee.
D. Lane will ask to go into the teacher’s lounge to
grab a coffee.
Answer
The correct answer is A. Lane runs through several
different options for what she could do about her
coffee situation but dismisses them all for one reason
or another. She is even described as feeling “hopeless”
about the situation as she desperately tires to think of
a possible solution. This suggests that Lane will
begrudgingly forgo caffeine for the day.
Generalizations
0 A general rule drawn from looking at facts and
figuring out what they have in common.
0 A reasoning is formulated about something specific
where some observations are made and then
conclusions are drawn concerning the larger category
of that specific instance.
0 If a generalization is valid, it is well supported by
facts, experience, and logic.
0 If a generalization is invalid, it is not supported.
Examples of Generalizations
0 All the ducks we’ve seen have feathers. Therefore, it is likely that
all ducks have feathers.
0 George prefers to use back roads to drive around the Monroeville
Mall area. He often makes it to the mall quicker by taking
Monroeville Road to James Street than by driving on William
Penn Highway, even though the routes are about the same
distance from his house. He rarely gets caught in heavy traffic on
his alternate route.
Based on this text, one could generalize that William Penn
Highway is often too crowded. The generalization is demonstrated
by the fact that George does not get caught in traffic on the back
roads and is able to make his trip more quickly.
Compare and Contrast
0 A concept that is used to examine information in
order to show the similarities and differences
between two or more thoughts or ideas.
Words to Make Connections
Compare
0 Similar
0 In the same way
0 Likewise
0 Just like
0 As well
0 In addition
Contrast
0 Different
0 In contrast
0 On the other hand
0 However
0 On the contrary
0 Instead
0 Although
0 But
Places That Make
Connections
0 Main idea
0 Point of view
0 Purpose
0 Characters
0 Setting
0 Problems/conflict
0 themes
Life on the Bayou
0 Passage 1 purpose:
0 Passage 2 purpose:
0 Similarities?
Genres
0 Different types of writing:
0 Fiction
0 Nonfiction
0 Poetry
Types of Fiction
0 Prose: Does not use meter or rhyme which is
characteristic of poetry or verse
0 Common types:
0 Novel: fictional piece usually of considerable length,
typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions,
speech, and thoughts of the characters.
0 Short story: fictional prose narrative that is shorter and
less complex than other pieces, usually under 10,000
words.
Nonfiction
0 Literary work in which the content is based on fact.
0 Types:
0 Biography: account of a person’s life written, composed,
or produced by another person.
0 Autobiography: piece of writing that a person writes
about his or her own life (Using first person pronouns)
0 Diary: written account of events or circumstances in a
person’s life where each entry is dated.
0 Journal: includes a dated record of daily events.
0 Essay: relatively short literary composition in prose on a
single subject, usually presenting the personal view of
the author. Usually tries to persuade the reader about a
view.
0 Newspaper Article: gives information about current
events that happen locally or around the world.
Poetry
0 Type of writing designed to convey experiences, ideas,
or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way.
0 Characterized by literary techniques such as rhyme
and rhythm.
0 Usually (but not always) written in short lines, and the
lines often rhyme.
0 A poem may tell a story, create images, or just share a
feeling or thought.
Technical Documents
0 Provide directions to do something. (Manuals or
applications)
0 Used for practical purposes
0 Ex. A college application instructs a student how to provide
information needed on the form.
Cross-Genre
0 Has characteristics of more than one genre
0 Ex. Some poems may read like a cross between a story
and a biography
Character Analysis
0 Trait: a special quality or something special about
someone’s personality (hair color, eye color, height,
weight, age, beliefs, likes, dislikes, opinions, behavior).
0 Motivation: what causes someone to act in a certain
way. It can be an emotion, desire, need, etc. It is the
reason we do something.
0 Tripping over his untied shoes, Mario dragged himself to
the coffee machine because he was desperate to wake
up.
Character Analysis
0 Conflict: When characters have different interests or
goals.
0 Ben told the cashier that he didn’t agree with how much
money the store charged for CDs. The cashier told Ben that
he needed to pay the money, anyway.
Character Analysis
0 Point of View
0 The side from which a story is told. It can affect how
facts are shown and how we look at characters.
Character Analysis
0 A character’s traits or relationships might affect his or
her point of view.
0 Motivation affects action and changes.
Character
0 Action: Charlie stuck his foot out to trip Bridget as she
walked by. He laughed when she dropped her books
and fell on the floor.
0 Dialogue: “I can give you some money,” Linda said
from behind her line. “How much do you need?”
Setting’s Main Components
0 Time, place, and circumstances in which a story takes
place.
0 Place (geographical location)
0 Time
0 Weather
0 Social conditions
0 Mood (atmosphere)
Where am I?
0 The setting is not always directly stated.
0 “I closed my eyes and listened to the waves brushing
back and forth across the wet sand.”
0 “Amy felt dizzy as she looked over the railing of the Eiffel
Tower.”
0 “No matter what, I am determined to stay awake to see
the first man walk on the moon.”
Setting Affects Mood or
Theme, Characters, and
Conflict
0 Winter=stories about loss or death
0 Dark, secluded places= suspenseful or scary stories
0 Outer space or another planet=futuristic stories
0 The setting is part of the conflict when a character
becomes shipwrecked on a desert island.
0 The setting affects characters when a historic event
such as a war changes their lives.
0 The setting influences characters when they travel to
a place that is foreign to them and must learn new
customs.
Plot
0 The storyline or sequence of events that take place in
a story. All plots have conflict and a resolution.
Exposition
0 The beginning of the plot. It starts off the story and
lets the reader know any important information
before the action starts. It introduces the characters,
setting, and basic conflict of a story.
Rising Action
0 Occurs after the main conflict is introduced. Includes
details about what the character does to solve his or
her problem. Smaller problems, obstacles, or crises
may occur before the climax is reached.
Climax
0 Occurs right after the rising action. It is the most
intense or exciting event in the story because the
character deals with the main conflict. It can also be
the turning point in the story.
Falling Action
0 Occurs after the climax and before the resolution. It is
everything that happens because of the climax. The
characters respond to what happens in the climax.
This leads the reader to the conclusion of the story.
Resolution
0 The conclusion of the story where the conflict is
resolved.
Theme
0 A central or recurring idea that is explained in a piece
of writing, sometimes in the form of a life lesson or
moral.
0 A message that makes the reader think about life,
human nature, or the world.
0 Theme is determined by extracting it from the events
that occur in a story.
Some Common Themes
0 Man is man’s worst enemy.
0 Good is stronger than evil.
0 A person grows by facing obstacles.
0 Enjoy life now because we all die too soon.
0 Love conquers all.
0 Treat others the way you want to be treated.
The Wolf and The Goat
A wolf saw a goat grazing at the edge of a high cliff. The wolf
smacked his lips at the thought of a fine goat dinner.
"My dear friend," said the wolf in his sweetest voice, "aren't
you afraid you will fall down from that cliff? Come down here
and graze on this fine grass beside me on safe, level ground."
"No, thank you," said the goat.
"Well, then," said the wolf, "aren't you cold up there in the
wind? You would be warmer grazing down here beside me in this
sheltered area."
"No, thank you," said the goat.
"But the grass tastes better down here!" said the exasperated
wolf. "Why dine alone?"
"My dear wolf," the goat finally said, "are you quite sure that it
is MY dinner you are worrying about and not your own?"
Question
Which of the following best describes a theme of the
passage?
A. You can’t change who you are.
B. Honesty is not always the best policy.
C. Be cautious if an enemy is being kind.
D. A good friend is hard to find.
Answer
0 The wolf is trying to trick the goat into coming down
from the cliff. The wolf wants to eat the goat for
dinner, but the goat knows to be cautious around its
enemies. He or she does not fall for the wolf’s tricks.
Therefore, “Be cautious if an enemy is being kind” is
the correct answer.
Tips for Identifying Theme
0 Look closely at the title.
0 Look for ideas that are repeated more than once.
0 Look for lessons that the character learns.
0 Think about what happens in the story and how it can
apply to life. (For example: if the main character must
survive an approaching tornado, the theme may be
“nature is at war with mankind.”)
Tone
0 The reflection of an author’s attitude toward his or
her subject.
0 Word choice and attitude are hints that help you
figure out what the tone is.
What is the tone of this passage?
The school’s decision to add four more vending
machines shows that it thinks the health of its
students is unimportant. Instead of working to make
needed changes, like adding better computers to the
school, it decided that students need sugar, caffeine,
fat, and empty calories instead. It is ridiculous! What
kind of message does it send to the students? We are
taught in our health classes to avoid sugary, fatty
foods, but now, students have four more chances to
swell up on junk food. The so-called food sold in these
vending machines will make the student body grow,
but it will be measured in pounds.
ANGRY!!  (GRRR)
0 Uses “junk food” instead of snacks
0 “ridiculous” instead of “wrong”
0 Sugar, fat, caffeine, empty calories
0 “student body” to comment on weight gain instead of
a way to talk about the population of a school.
Mood
0 The atmosphere that a writer creates for a reader that
plays on the reader’s imagination and emotion
through the use of descriptive adverbs or adjectives.
What is the mood here?
I rose from bed with a noise ringing in my ears so loudly that
I almost lost my balance. The noise sounded like the
screeching moan of claws being drug against glass. The
sharp, squeaking sound cut through the darkness of the
night and woke me from my dream. My first thought was
that a bear was trying to get inside of the cabin, but a
bear’s claws would have shattered the glass. As I happened
on the window, the full moon shined against whatever was
making the noise from behind, like a giant spotlight. I saw
behind the curtain the shape of something tall and lanky
with long arms reaching out to the window. I immediately
yanked the curtain aside as a long squeal bleated out
against the window pane. Filling the pan outside was a
dying willow—its branches pushing against the glass with
a gust from the winds outside.
S C A R Y !!
0 “Screeching moan of claws”
0 “I saw behind the curtain the shape of something tall
and lanky with long arms reaching out to the window.”
0 “I immediately yanked the curtain aside as a long
squeal bleated out against the window pane”
Point of View
0 Refers to the way a story is told, the perspective or
angle of vision or position from which the events are
narrated for the reader.
First Person
0 Uses “I” or “we” or “my” or “me” or “us”
0 Often used when someone is stating an opinion or
sharing a feeling.
0 I went to the store today. When I was in the cereal
aisle, I bumped into an old friend and had a nice
conversation.
Second Person
0 Uses the word “you”
0 Used when giving directions or anytime you’re
speaking directly to someone
0 Almost never used to tell a story
0 You should work on getting your room cleaned. First,
pick up the clothes on the floor. Then, you need to run
a vacuum and dust the tables.
Third Person
0 Uses “he,” “she,” or “they” and sometimes “it”
0 When studying the history of the Earth, it becomes
evident that dinosaurs existed far longer than human
beings have so far. One would be impressed to learn
how many millions of years these great creatures
survived and thrived on Earth.
Third Person Limited
0 The narrator is a non-participant, but only knows the
thoughts and feelings of a single character (LIMITED
to only one character)
0 Zoe had seen the building of the Great Wall, the fall of
the Berlin Wall, and everything in between. She
wondered if humans would ever really learn how to
live in peace. Zoe wasn’t on Earth to be a teacher. She
was there to observe and document what she learned
about humans. But it was so hard for Zoe not to get
involved.
Third Person Objective
0 Writer is a non-participant, and tells the story from an
objective point of view.
0 The narrator cannot enter the mind of any character.
0 The high school students were waiting for their buses
to arrive as the snow started to fall intensely. They
had been there for 30 minutes, throwing snowballs
and shivering in the cold. Finally, they cheered when
someone received the phone call that school was
cancelled for the day. They all went home and went
back to bed.
Omniscient
0 Writer is a non-participant but is able to see into and
have unlimited knowledge about any or all of the
characters.
0 The author can roam anywhere, see anything, and
comment on or interpret events at will.
0 Nick was acting like his happy self. Nothing seemed to
bother him. Nick was always ready to entertain an
audience. But on the inside, he struggled severely with
self-doubt.
Narrator
0 The narrator as a character—is experiencing the
action of the story.
0 When the narrator is a character, it gives the reader a
close connection to the events.
0 The Unnamed narrator—Sometimes because the
story is told from the point of view of someone all
knowing.
0 Can be a part of the story, or just be telling the story.
0 Look for the narrator to act or speak. If this doesn’t
happen, he/she is unnamed.
Allegory
0 A form of extended metaphor in which all of the
elements of the story have meanings that lie outside
the narrative itself. The story is symbolic of another
story. The underlying meaning has moral, social,
religious, or political significance, and characters are
often personifications of abstract ideas as charity,
greed, or envy.
0 The Wizard of Oz?
Allusion
0 A reference to a real or fictitious person, event, place,
work of art, or another work of literature within
writing. In order for an allusion to be effective, the
reader must be familiar with the original work.
0 My uncle proved that he was a scrooge because he
would not lend me money to buy the new iPod I
wanted.
Common Allusions
0 Roman/Greek mythology
0 the Bible
0 Shakespearean plays
0 Fairy tales
0 Ex. David and Goliath, Romeo and Juliet,
Armageddon, Cinderella, Odyssey, Sleeping Beauty,
Cupid’s arrow, Mars, etc.
Dialect
0 The language of a particular region or group of
people.
0 Includes the sound, spelling, and diction used by that
group.
0 Use dialect to show differences in characters, to refer
to a specific location or time period, or to help the
reader know how a character sounds.
0 Considered informal and inappropriate for formal
writing.
Hyperbole
0 Figure of speech in which the author uses
exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Not meant to be
taken literally!
0 Sometimes called overstatement.
0 It took an eternity for her to return my call.
0 She nearly drowned in her tears.
Irony and Its Many Forms
0 Irony is the difference between what appears to be
and what actually is.
Situational Irony
0 Occurs when a reader or character expects one thing
to happen, but something entirely different happens.
0 Used to make stories interesting or humorous and
sometimes to force their readers to think about their
own thoughts and values.
0 Situational irony would occur if a cunning and lawful
police officer fails to catch a reckless and lawless thief.
Dramatic Irony
0 The contrast between what a character thinks to be
true and what we, the readers, know to be true. It
occurs when the meaning intended by a character’s
words or actions is opposite of the true situation.
0 “Honest” Iago in Othello
Verbal Irony
0 When someone says one thing but means something
different. Very similar to sarcasm.
0 Cheesy Study Island example:
“Are you doing anything fun tomorrow, Carol?” Janet
asked.
“Nothing except getting my wisdom teeth pulled out!”
Carol replied with a fake smile.
Historical Irony
0 Irony throughout history. Most easily identified when
we compare the way historical figures saw the world
and the way we see it today.
0 During most of the 1920s, The New York Times
criticized crossword puzzles as “utterly futile” and
said they were a craze that was fading fast. Today, The
New York Times’ crossword puzzle is one of its most
popular features.
Simile and Metaphor
0 Simile: compares things that share a common feature.
Uses either “like” or “as” to make the connection.
0 Metaphor: compares two things without using “like”
or “as.”
Satire
0 A literary work in which the writer tries to point out
human vices in order to scorn or ridicule them. The
writer can do so by using irony, wit, or sarcasm.
0 Satirical authors are intent on making fun of the
absurdity, pretension, and corruption of the
respective worlds they are portraying.
0 Have a strong element of irony or sarcasm.
0 Saturday Night Live: use skits to point out people’s
flaws.
Symbolism
0 A literary device that uses certain objects or images to
represent other ideas.
0 Symbol is usually tangible or visible, but the idea it
symbolizes may be something abstract or universal.
0 A caged bird could be used as a symbol to mean
imprisonment.
Flashback and
Foreshadowing
0 Flashback: interrupts the plot of a story and goes back
to a past event.
0 Foreshadowing: When future events in a story, or
sometimes the outcome, are suggested or hinted at by
the author before they happen.
0 Method used to build suspense.
Poems
0 Characterized by literary techniques such as meter
and rhyme and often use language, meaning, sound,
and rhythm to evoke a specific response.
Different Types of Poetry
0 Ballad poem that tells a story. Often of folk origin
and intended to be sung. Often consist of simple
stanzas and usually have a refrain (a repeated phrase
or stanza).
0 Stanza division in poetry shown by a line break.
Equivalent of a paragraph.
Types of Poetry
0 Blank verse poem written in iambic pentameter.
(Each line has 10 syllables, which have a pattern of
unstressed, stressed, unstressed, stressed, etch). Lines
do not have a rhyme scheme.
But do not let us quarrel anymore,
No, my Lucrezia; bear with me for once:
Sit down and all shall happen as you wish.
You turn your face, but does it bring your heart?
Types of Poetry
0 Couplet pair of lines that usually rhyme. Can appear
in sonnets.
0 Elegy traditionally written in response to the death
of a person or group. Focuses on the loss or grief itself.
0 Epic poem long poem narrating the heroic exploits
of an individual in a way central to the beliefs and
cultures of the society. Typical elements: fabulous
adventures, superhuman deeds, majestic language,
and a mythical setting.
Types of Poetry
0 Lyric poems do not tell stories. Addresses the
reader directly, portraying the speaker’s feelings,
states of mind, and perceptions. Often written with a
specific rhyme scheme and meter.
0 Haiku Consists of three unrhymed lines of five,
seven, and five syllables.
Types of Poetry
0 Narrative poems that tell a story. Have characters
and plot, and sometimes dialogue, themes, and
conflicts. “The Raven” is an example.
0 Ode poem that focuses on one subject and finds an
original way to express what is good and unique
about it. Traditional odes follow a ABABCDECDE
rhyme scheme.
Types of Poetry
0 Free verse poetry written without regard to form,
rhyme, rhythm, meter, or line breaks. Has no
traditional form.
0 Sonnet written in 14 lines and ending in a couplet.
Written in iambic pentameter.
Rhyme Scheme
0 The pattern of rhyme in a poem.
0 AABB or every two lines rhyme.
0 ABCB or the second and fourth line of each stanza
rhyme.
0 ABAB or every other line rhymes.
Meter
0 The regular pattern of stressed and unstressed
syllables that make up a line of poetry. Gives rhythm
and regularity to poetry.
0 Poetic meter is measured in feet. Each foot is a specific
sequence of syllable type, such as
unstressed/stressed.
0 Iambic pentameter da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-
DUM da DUM 5 iambic feet in a row
Sound
0 Slant rhyme also called half rhyme, imperfect
rhyme, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, off rhyme, or
almost rhyme. IT is a rhyme in which either the
vowels or the consonants of stressed syllables are
identical.
0 Eyes, light
0 Years, yours
Sound
0 Internal rhyme rhyme that occurs within a line of
verse.
In the grey grains of sand
The dark veins of dropping rain
Consonance the repetition of consonants or of a
consonant pattern, especially at the ends of words.
Blank, blink
Strong, string
Sound
0 Assonance also called vowel rhyme. The same
vowel sounds are used with different consonants in
the stressed syllables of the rhyming words.
Penitent, reticence
End rhyme rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of
verses.
On the train
She left again
And I remain
In the rain!
Sound
0 Alliteration the repetition of the same sounds or of
the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or
in stressed syllables.
Kara cried her karaoke tears.
She could not mask her fake fears.
Onomatopoeia use of words such as “buzz” or “moo”
that imitate the sounds associated with the objects to
which they refer.
Sounds
0 Personification figure of speech in which things are
endowed with human qualities or are represented as
possessing human form.
Terms You Should Know
0 Comedy play which consistently features humor
and light-hearted events.
0 Tragedy deals with humans as victims of destiny,
character flaws, moral weakness, or social pressure.
0 Cast the characters needed for the play.
0 Dialogue the words spoken by characters in a play.
0 Soliloquy narrative spoken by a single actor in
which his or her thoughts are revealed to the
audience.
Terms You Should Know
0 Dramatic Monologue a long speech by a single
character. The actor can either be lone on stage or
interacting with other performers.
0 Character foil a character whose traits are in direct
contrast to those of the main character. The foil
highlights the traits of the opposing character.
0 Scene Design the creative process of developing and
executing aesthetic or functional designs in a
production, such as costumes, lighting, set, and
makeup.
Terms You Should Know
0 Aside a speech or comment made by an actor
directly to the audience about the action of the play or
another character. The audience is to understand that
this comment is not heard or noticed by the other
characters in the play.
0 Stage Directions tell actors how to move and speak.
Most are in parentheses or italics. Can also tell you
where the play is taking place or give information
about how to make the stage look to set up the scene.
Terms You Should Know
0 Prop article or object that appears on the stage
during the play.
0 The different types of irony are also stressed in
drama.