Unit 2: Analyze Literature

Blank verse is unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Elaboration is a writing technique in which a subject is introduced and then expanded on through repetition with minor changes, the addition of details, or similar methods.

Mood, or atmosphere, is the emotion created in the reader by a literary work.

Personification is a type of figurative language in which an animal, force of nature, or idea is described as if it were human.

A theme is a central message or perception about life that is revealed through a literary work.

Tone is the emotional attitude toward the reader or the subject suggested by a literary work—for instance, serious or sarcastic, playful or sincere.

Plot refers to the series of events related to a central conflict, or struggle.

Plot refers to the series of events related to a central conflict, or struggle.

In the exposition, the author introduces the characters and setting, sets the tone or mood, and gives background information.

The climax is the high point of interest.

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds, as in “weak and weary” (“The Raven,” line 1).

Gothic fiction is a style characterized by the use of medieval settings, a murky atmosphere of horror and gloom, and grotesque, mysterious, or violent incidents.

Foreshadowing is the technique of hinting at events that will occur later in a story.