GROUP ONE
synonym
Two or more words with the same, or nearly the same, meaning; expressing or implying the same idea. |
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antonym
Two words with opposite, or nearly opposite, meanings. |
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in ~ out / up ~ down / friend ~ foe |
homophone
Two words that sound alike but have different meanings whether spelled the same way or not |
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to, too, two / great, grate / sight, sight, sight, site, cite |
denotation
The primary meaning a word or expressino usually elicits; dictionary definition. |
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apple: n, a firm round fruit with a central core, red or green skin with white flesh. |
connotation
The secondary meaning of a word or expression; implication |
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wheels: not the "tires" on an automoble, wagon, truck, etc; but a cultural slang reference to a person's own vehicle. |
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GROUP TWO
character
A person or animal in a play, story, or novel. |
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protagonist
The main character in a drama, novel, or story, around whom the action centers. |
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Tom Sawyer is the main character in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. |
antagonist
A person, or thing, who opposes or competes with another; aversary; opponent. |
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Snidley Whiplash is the villian in the comic episodes of Dudly Doright of the Canadian Mounties. |
setting
The time, place, environment, and surrounding circumstances of an event in a story. |
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"It was a dark and stormy night..."
"A long, long, time ago in a galaxy far, far away." (Star Wars introduction) |
scene
The specific place in which any event, real or imagined, occurs in a story; locale. |
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On a raft on the Mississippi river...
On the bridge of the star ship Enterprise... |
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GROUP THREE
plot
The arrangement of the incidents, actions, or sequences of events in a story. |
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The beginning--followed by--the many events that occur in the middle of a story--followed by--the ending/conclusion. |
foreshadowing
A sign of something to come later in the story; indicate, suggest beforehand, hint, prefigure, or presage. |
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flashback
An interruption in the continuity of a story to present scenes or incidents that took place before the opening scene in order to make somthing in the present more clear. |
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mood
A particulary state of mind or feeling; humor or tember; a predominant or prevailing feeling, spirit, or tone. |
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John felt uneasy as he entered the principal's office. |
point of view
The place from which, or way in which a story is told; viewed or considered; standpoint. A mental attitude or opinion. |
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first person; third person; narrator; etc. |
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GROUP FOUR
conflict
The problem in a story that triggers the action; to be antagonistic, incompatible, or contradictory; be in opposition, clash. |
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1. self; 2. another person; 3. society; 4. nature; and 5. fate |
internal conflict
Conflict that arises from within oneself: mental or physical. |
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#1 above. |
external conflict
Conflict that comes to someone from outside of oneself whether it be an antagonist or nature. |
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#'s 2-5 above. |
climax
The final, culminating event in a series of events; the decisive turning point of the action in a story--usually the most intense event. |
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symbol
Something that stands for, represents, or suggests another thing; especially an object used to represent something abstract; emblem |
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A red octogon placed at an intersection of two roads is the universal symbol for "STOP". |
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GROUP FIVE
theme
The central or dominating idea, the "message," implicit in a work, expressed through recurrent images, actions, characters, and symbols; usually inferred by the reader. |
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Usually an abstract noun: bravery, forgiveness, love, justice, humility, guilt, revenge, etc. |
thesis
A consise sentence explaining the main idea of a written work. Title, author, and theme. |
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Odysseus bravely overcomes multiple obstacles, both natural and supernatural, in his quest to return home to his wife and son in Homer's The Odyssey. |
allegory
A story in which people, things, and happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning; allegories are used for teaching or explaining ideas, moral principles, etc. |
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The Tortis and the Hare teaches perseverance. |
analogy
A comparison of two or more objects; similarity in some respects between things otherwise unlike; partial resemblance. |
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The form of a tree and a river delta both appear with a trunk and branches.
See also: simile and metaphor |
allusion
A passing reference to historical or fictional characters, places, events, or to other works that the writer assumes the reader will recognize. |
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"My name is Ishmael." -Moby Dick
The Korean War vetran walked proudly...parade. |
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GROUP SIX
simile
A figure of speech that uses like, as, or as if to compare two essentially different objects, actions, or attributes that share some aspect of similarity. |
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The Northern Lights glimmered across the midnight sky like a princes's shimmering tiara. |
metaphor
A figure of speech, an implied analogy in which one things is imaginatively compared to or identified with another thing. |
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The sunrise blossomed into a beautiful morning with a fragrance that stimulated the senses of those who saw it.
sunrise = flower |
imagery
The making of "pictures in words;" the pictorial quality of a literary work achieved through a collection of images; sensory details are used. |
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It was a dark and stormy night in a mountain forest as three lost, weaping children earnestly sought their way back to their family campsight. |
personification
A figure of speech in which human characteristics and sensibilities are attributed to animals, plants, inanimate objects, natural forces, or abstract ideas. |
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Animal cartoon characters: Goofy, Bugs Bunny, etc.
The giant oak tree breathed a sigh of relief as children climbed down from its branches. |
irony
Using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or normal meaning. The difference between reality (what is) and appearance (what seems to be). |
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Senator Sam Short, a robust outdoorsman, was slain on his yacht ironically while he wore a life preserver. |
August 13, 2008
updated 