Saturday, September 13, 2008

For those who can't get to the textbook online, here are the words and definitions:


Genre – category in which a work of literature is classified.
Short story – work of fiction that centers on a single idea.
Novel – long work of fiction.
Novella – shorter than a novel and longer than a short story.
Elements of fiction – plot, setting, characters, theme.
Plot – series of events in a story.
Conflict – a struggle between opposing forces, can be internal or external.
Character – the people, animals, or imaginary creatures who take part in the action of a work of literature.
Setting – the time and place of the action.
Theme – a message about life or human nature.
Narrator – voice that tells the story.
Point of view – method of narration used in a piece of literature (first person, third person, etc.)
Form – the structure or organization of a piece of writing
Line – core unit of a poem.
Stanza – a group of two or more lines that form a unit in a poem.
Rhyme – similar or identical sounds at the end of tow or more words.
Rhythm – a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry that brings out the musical quality of language.
Sound devices – alliteration, assonance, consonance, meter, onomatopoeia, repetition, rhyme and rhythm.
Imagery – descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory experiences for the reader. Usually appeals to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
Act – a major division within a play, similar to a chapter in a book.
Scene – an episode of a play’s plot.
Stage directions – the instructions to the actors, director, and stage crew.
Dialogue – written conversation between two or more characters.
Text features – elements of a text such as boldface, type, headings, and subheading, that help organize and call attention to important information.
Persuasion – swaying others’ feelings, beliefs, or actions.
Argument – speaking or writing tha expresses a position on a problem and supports it with reasons and evidence.
Biography – a true account of a person’s life, written by another person.
Autobiography – a writer’s account of his or her own life
Essay – a short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject.
Speech – talk or public address.
News/feature article – writing that reports on a recent event.
Poetry – a type of literature in which words are carefully chosen and arranged to create certain effects.