7th Grade Final Study Guide
Poetry Unit:
Figurative Language:
Simile – A comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as”
Metaphor – A comparison of two unlike things using a “to be” verb
Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds in a line of poetry at least three times
Assonance- The repetition of vowel sounds in a line of poetry at least three times
Imagery- language that engages the five senses through detailed descriptions
Symbolism- when one thing represents another. For example, doves are often a symbol for peace.
Onomatopoeia – a word that sounds like the word it represents: “Pow, whap, bang” etc…)
Idiom- a phrase that has a completely different meaning than the literal meaning of the words: “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
Hyperbole- exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Structure:
Stanza – A paragraph in a poem. Stanzas can be formed in many ways, but the main type of stanzas are called couplets (two lines), tercets (three lines), quatrains (four lines), cinquains (five lines), and sesets (6 lines).
Meter – The “rhythm” of a poem. The meter is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in lines of poetry.
Foot – A poetic “foot” is the combination of one stressed syllable and one or two unstressed syllables.
Iambic Pentameter – This is a commonly used (specifically by William Shakespeare) meter that consists of five two syllable feet, with the stressed syllable being the second syllable in each foot.
Rhyme Scheme- The pattern of rhyming words in a stanza or entire poem.
Heroic Couplet- A two line stanza that rhymes.
Types of Poems
Sonnet – A 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter. Sonnets are traditionally written with a specific rhyme scheme (usually a,b,a,b), and end with a rhyming couplet.
Free Verse – Poems written with no rhyme scheme or meter.
Haiku – A three line poem with Japanese origins that follows a very specific syllable pattern. The first line contains 5 syllables, the second has 7 syllables, and then the third has 5 syllables.
Limerick – A short 5 line poem that is often silly or lighthearted. Traditionally, limericks follow a very specific rhyme scheme: A,A,B,B, A.
Concrete poem – A poem written in the shape of the subject of the poem, or a specific object.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Id – represents our unconscious mind. The id is the part of our minds that we don’t actively control, and behaves in the background without us even realizing it.
Ego – represents our conscious mind. The ego is the part of our minds that we do actively control, and we have to make a conscious decision to use it.
Superego – represents society’s morals and standards. The superego refers to the influence society’s rules and morals have on our decision making and behavior.
Dr. Jekyll – represents the ego in the novel. Is a doctor who conducts strange experiments, and is the good friend of Mr. Utterson. He creates a potion that turns him into Mr. Hyde.
Mr. Hyde – represents the Id in the novel. Is the “alter-ego” of Dr. Jekyll, and commits atrocious crimes while under control of Dr. Jekyll’s body and mind.
Mr. Utterson – represents the Superego in the novel. Mr. Utterson is a lawyer and a good friend of Dr. Jekyll; he is also investigating Mr. Hyde in order to punish him for his crimes.
Short Stories
Plot – the general storyline or the framework for the progression of events.
Setting – When and where the story takes place.
Conflict – a disagreement or source of tension in the story. Includes man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. him/herself. Man vs. himself/herself is an internal conflict, and the others are external conflicts.
Point of view – includes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person. 1st person is told from the direct perspective using “I.” 3rd person is told from an objective observer perspective or “they.”
Rising Action – the plot events to move the plot towards the climax.
Climax – the “highest point” in the story, or the turning point in the plot.
Descending/Falling action – the events that move the plot to its resolution.
Conclusion/Resolution – The culmination of the plot and the resolution of the conflict.
Verbal Irony – When someone says the opposite of what they really mean.
Dramatic Irony – When the readers know something that the characters do not.
Situational Irony – When the opposite of what you expect to happen, happens.
Stories
Gif of the Magi – A husband and wife (Jim and Della) sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy each other a gift.
The Tell Tale Heart – A man is overcome with guilt after he murders an old man, and confesses to the crime.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – A man uses daydreams to escape reality and his wife’s nagging.
The Necklace – A woman borrows a necklace from a friend but loses it. She then spends the next ten years working to pay off the debt of replacing it, but learns that the one she lost was worthless.
Call of the Wild
Buck – the main character of the book. He gets kidnapped by Manuel, Judge Miller’s gardener, and sold in order to pay off gambling debts.
Spitz- Buck’s rival in the story, and Buck ends up killing him to gain dominance over the pack.
Perrault and Francois – Buck’s first owners, who are couriers. Buck learns from them the law of club and fang, and how to survive in the wild.
Hal, Mercedes, and Charles- Buck’s second group of owners, who drive him and the other dogs to near death. These three are very inexperienced and ignorant of the wild.
John Thornton – Buck’s third owner. Buck develops a strong bond with John, and saves his life of several occasions.