ELA Academic Terms

Metaphor

• A comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is spoken of as if it were another
• A comparison of two different things using the words LIKE or AS
• The central message of a literary work
• Choice of words

Simile

• A comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is spoken of as if it were another
• A recurrent image, symbol, theme, character type, subject, or narrative detail that becomes a unifying element in an artistic work or text
• A comparison of two different things using the words LIKE or AS
• Anything that represents itself but also stands for something else on a figurative level

Author's Purpose

• An author's attitude toward his or her subject matter
• The way an author reveals a character's personality to readers
• When an author tells the reader about a character's appearance, thoughts, feelings
• The specific reason or reasons for the writing; what the writer hopes to accomplish

Mood

• Visually descriptive language
• The central message of a literary work
• The atmosphere of a work; the way a reader feels while reading a work of fiction or poetry
• An author's attitude toward his or her subject matter

Tone

• An author's attitude toward his or her subject matter
• The central message of a literary work
• The atmosphere of a work; the way a reader feels while reading a work of fiction or poetry
• The specific reason or reasons for the writing; what the writer hopes to accomplish

Theme

• An author's attitude toward his or her subject matter
• The atmosphere of a work; the way a reader feels while reading a work of fiction or poetry
• The central message of a literary work
• Anything that represents itself but also stands for something else on a figurative level

Personification

• The perspective from which a narrative is told, that is first person, third-person limited or third-person omniscient
• Characterized by third person pronouns such as he, she, them. An omniscient narrator provides readers with information about the thoughts and feelings of many different characters
• A figure of speech that gives human qualities to an animal, object, or idea
• speech or writing that departs from literal meaning in order to achieve a special effect or meaning, speech or writing employing figures of speech (especially metaphors and similes)

Point of View

• The person or entity telling the story
• The perspective from which a narrative is told, that is first person, third-person limited or third-person omniscient
• When a character's appearance, thoughts or feelings are revealed through: 1) his actions 2)his words 3)the actions of others 4)the words of others
• The atmosphere of a work; the way a reader feels while reading a work of fiction or poetry

A conclusion drawn from the text based on text evidence and the reader's own background knowledge 

• Perspective
• Conflict
• Inference
• Theme

The part of the story that introduces the readers to the characters, setting, and sets up the conflict 

• Rising Action
• Falling Action
• Characterization
• Exposition