7th grade Literature Final Study guide
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.
Short Stories/Fiction
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.
Anne Frank
Characters:
Anne Frank – the author of the journals
Otto Frank – Her father
Mrs. Frank – her mother
Margot Frank – Her sister
Peter Van Daan – her love interest, and fellow annex member.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan – parents of Peter, and fellow members of the Annex
Mr. Dussell – a dentist who joined the annex later on.
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.
Blank Verse- Poems written in iambic pentameter that do not rhyme.
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.
Acrostic poem – A poem that uses the letters in a topic word for the beginning of each line. Each line should relate to the topic.
Cyrano de Bergerac
Characters:
Cyrano – a man with a giant nose who speaks with unrivaled eloquence who is in love with Roxanne.
Roxanne – a beautiful young woman who is friends with Cyrano, and in love with his friend Christian.
Christian- a handsome but dull young man who is in love with Roxanne
Ragueneau- a local pastry chef who is an admirer of poetry and poets.
The Count De Guiche – a very powerful nobleman who is in love with Roxanne, and wants to kill Cyrano for embarrassing him.
Other
Satire – the use of humor and irony to comment on contemporary or historical social problems and issues. Satire is important because it makes difficult subject matters easier to talk about/understand, can make social issues more accessible, and it can “soften the blow” of sensitive topics.
Verbal Irony – saying the opposite of what you really mean
Situational Irony – when the opposite of what you would normally expect to happen, happens
Dramatic Irony – when the readers know something happening in the story that the characters do not.
Dichotomy – when two opposing ideas exist at the same time (i.e Good vs. Evil)
Pseudonym – a fake name authors use to publish their writing (i.e Mark Twain).