Common Assessment Study Guide for Poetry 8Th Grade Language Arts

Common Assessment Study Guide for Poetry – 8th Grade Language Arts

The semester exam will cover the work we have completed with poetry. There will be approximately 35 multiple choice questions and the assessment will have three basic parts:

1. vocabulary – multiple choice
2. analysis of poems – multiple choice
3. open response

Part I - Vocabulary

1. Rhyme- Words with like end sounds
2. Metaphor- Comparison between unlike things that does NOT use like or as
3. Simile- Comparison between unlike things using the words like or as
4. Imagery- Language that paints a picture by appealing to the senses
5. Symbol- A word, phrase or expression that represents something larger than itself
6. Personification- Giving human-like qualities to something that isn’t human
7. Meter- The number of beats per line
8. Hyperbole- An extreme exaggeration meant to make a point
9. Onomatopoeia- A word that sounds like a sound
10. Consonance- Repetition of consonant sounds at the end of words or embedded in words
11. Assonance- The repetition of vowel sounds
12. Alliteration- The repetition of initial consonant sounds
13. Theme- The central, unifying concepts of a story; the big ideas that relate to level three questions
14. Mood- The feeling the author creates through her use of imagery, detail and diction
15. First person- Point of view in which a character in the story is telling the story. It uses the word “I”, “we”, “our”, etc.
16. Second person- Point of view in which the narrator speaks directly to the reader. It uses the words “you” and “your”.
17. Third person omniscient- Point of view in which an outside narrator tells the story, and we know the thoughts of all characters in the story
18. Third Person limited- Point of view in which an outside narrator tells the story, and we only know the thoughts of one or two characters
19. Characterization- The methods an author uses to create a character. These methods include words, actions, physical features, and words of other characters.
20. Allusion – a reference to something from literature, history, art, or religion which the author expects you to know
21. Diction The author’s word choice
22. Climax- The part of a story where the conflict is at its highest point
23. Details- Important pieces of information that don’t fall into the category of imagery but still help create mood
24. Imagery- Descriptive language that appeals to the reader’s senses

Part III – Poetry Analysis – Poems included on the test are “Blueflag” and “Sestina.”

Identifying sound devices & analyzing their effect

Identifying figurative language & analyzing its effect