English Pre-Ao Vocabulary

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Allegory

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Narrative in which the characters, setting, and events are all symbolic

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Alliteration

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device in which the initial sound of a word is repeated at least twice in a line of poetry or in a sentence

Example: Chris kissed Karen, who clocked him convincingly

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Allusion

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in a literary work, a reference to something appearing elsewhere in history, culture, or literature

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Analogy

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A resemblance drawn between two items

Example: A science teacher may compare between greenhouse gases and heat entering a car

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Antagonist

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The opponent of a narrative's protagonist or hero, the one who creates or causes the conflict for the protagonist. Sometimes called the villain of the story, but not all are villainous

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Antecedent

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The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Example: MISS PIPER will be your teacher next year. SHE will teach you a lot about writing.

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Antonym

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A word that has the opposite meaning of another

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Atmosphere

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The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's descriptive choices. Frequently foreshadows events.

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Climax

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in a narrative, the point irreversible action, when what is done cannot be undone.

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Connotation

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The implied, rather than direct meaning of a word. Ex: Thin and emaciated are synonyms but emaciated is implied as an unhealthy sort of thinness

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Denouement

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French for "unknotting" This final segment of a narrative follows the climax and "wind things up" in a story.

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Diction

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Word choice, the most basic element of a text. Can reveal a speaker's tone, or attitude toward their subject.

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Exposition

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The opening of a narrative, during which characters, setting, and initial action (conflict) are explained

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Falling Action

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Part of a narrative that moves from the climax to the denouement

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Figurative language

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Writing or speech that is not intended to carry a literal meaning and is usual meant to imaginative and vivid

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Figure of speech

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A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Include: hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, and understatement

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Flashback

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narrative scene in which action previously unrevealed takes place. An adult character's current motivation may be explained in a scene returning to a traumatic event in their childhood

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Foreshadowing

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A narrative event that, in retrospect, symbolically predicted something in the narrative's future

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Hero/heroine

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The protagonist of a narrative. The central character does not need to possess this set of characteristics.

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Hubris

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Common tragic flaw of protagonists. "Hubris" translates from the Greek as "pride" the kind of pride that makes a character foolishly think he is on par with the gods.

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Hyperbole

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Exaggeration for effect

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Initiating Event

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The event that sets up the conflict in a narrative and sets the rising action in motion

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Imagery

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Any description that appeals to the senses. Also known as sensory details. Figurative language is used to create it.

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Irony

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And unexpected but fitting twist in a narrative. Falls into 3 categories:

Verbal- occurs when someone means the opposite of what they say

Situational- Occurs when events in the story take an unexpexted turn, but one can still understand how the events could have happened. Occurs when what happens is very different from what is expected

Dramatic- Occurs when the audience knows something the character doesn't

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Juxtaposition

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Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison and contrast

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Metaphor

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A direct comparison of two unlike things.

Example: His tears were a river

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Mood

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The emotional atmosphere of a work, especially the emotional undercurrents of a setting. But not to be confused with tone, which, though emotional, has more to do with the speaker's attitude.

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Motif

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A recurring pattern of images and symbols. Used to reinforce themes.

Example: The recurrence of a mirror in Beauty and the Beast reinforces the theme that beauty is on the inside.

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Narrative

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The telling of a story of account of a series of events.

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Personification

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The instilling of human characteristics in something nonhuman

Example: The flowers danced in the breeze.

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech in which the two opposite ideas are joined to create effect,

Example: "living dead"

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Play

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A work of prose or poetry intended for performance on stage. Also known as drama

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Poem

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A work written in verse rather than prose. This is probably the oldest of all literary forms.

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Point of View

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The perspective from which a narrative is told. May be that of a character in the story (first person) or from a narrator removed from the story's events (third person) who may know the thoughts and feelings of the characters (omniscient) or may not (limited)

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Prose

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Any literary work that is not poetry, but is written in sentences and paragraphs

Examples: novels, short stories, plays, essays

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Protagonist

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The central character of a literary work

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Rising Action

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Occurs after the exposition of a narrative, beginning with the initiating event. In this part of a story, complications begin to arise for the characters

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Setting

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The time and place of a narrative

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Simile

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The indirect comparison between two unlike things. The comparison usually hinges on the word "like" or "as."

Example: His tears were like a river.

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Soliliquy

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A long, usually serious speech that a character in a play makes alone onstage that reveals the character's thoughts or emotions

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Symbol

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An object, setting, event, or flat character that represents an idea. Whereas a sign stands for a single, simplified concept (a red octagonal sign at a four-way intersection means stop), a this word relies on a more complex context to create a meaning, and can often mean different things in different situations.

Example: The Statue of Liberty

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Theme

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The universal truth, observation about life, or main idea of a literary work. The plot tells you what happens in a narrative, but this word provides the meaning of that action.

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Tone

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The narrator's attitude toward their subject

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Wit

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In modern usage, is intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. Is humorous, while suggesting the speaker's verbal power to create intelligent remarks.

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Static Character

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A character who does not undergo growth or change during a narrative

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Dynamic Character

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A character who changes or grows over the course of a narrative (opposite of static character)

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Flat Character

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A character who is uncomplicated and is often defined by one personality trait

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Round Character

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A character with a complex or complicated personality (opposite of flat character)

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Stock Character

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typed of characters that have become conventional or stereotypical because of their repeated use in literature