Literary Terms and Concepts

Memoir

• A fictional story about a character's life.

• A writer tells a true story from a specific period in his or her own life.

• A collection of poems about nature.

• An analysis of historical events.

Explicit Meaning

• Explains exactly in words the meaning of the text.

• Suggests a deeper interpretation of the text.

• Leaves room for personal interpretation.

• Is a summary of the text's main ideas.

Inferencing/Drawing Conclusions

• Determine the meaning by using text evidence, clues, prior knowledge, and reasoning.

• Making assumptions without any evidence.

• Ignoring context and focusing only on the text.

• Relying solely on personal opinions.

Dialogue

• A written work that tells a story.

• Conversation between two or more people.

• A type of musical composition.

• A formal speech given to an audience.

Chronological Order

• The order in which events happen, time order (key words - first, second, then, next, before, finally).

• A method of organizing information based on importance.

• A way to summarize events in a single sentence.

• A technique used to compare and contrast different events.

Main Idea

• The main thing or central idea that is most important in the text/selection.

• A minor detail that supports the main idea.

• A summary of the text without any key points.

• The conclusion drawn from the text.

Implicit Meaning

• The meaning is stated directly and clearly.

• The meaning is implied and the reader must make inferences and connections to determine the meaning.

• The meaning is irrelevant to the context.

• The meaning is only understood by experts.

Nonfiction Narrative

• A type of writing that tells a fictional story.

• A type of writing in which an author tells a true story (e.g., "Wagon Train at Dusk").

• A type of writing that includes poetry and prose.

• A type of writing that focuses on imaginary characters and events.

Theme

• The main character's journey in the story.

• The point or "life lesson" the author is teaching through his text/selection.

• The setting and time period of the narrative.

• The author's biography and background.