ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

WORDS TO KNOW

A reason or goal

Purpose

AUTHOR’S PURPOSEPersuade

Other authors may write to persuade or to try to get you to do something.

InformAn author may give you facts or true information about a subject. If so, they are writing to inform.

EntertainSome authors write fiction stories or stories that are not true. They write these stories to entertain you.

Author’s Purpose Powerpoint

The author gives a hint or suggestion of what might happen in

the story.

Foreshadowing

To enlarge a fact or statement beyond

what is actually true.

Exaggeration

The introduction of a past event into a story or motion

picture.

Flashback

To win over to a belief by argument or strong request.

Persuade

Pleasant excitement caused by wondering

what will happen.

Suspense

An attitude that always favors one way

of feeling or acting over another.

Bias

Expressing or covering the main

points briefly

Summarize

Arranged in or according to time.

Chronological

Arranged in or according to time.

Chronological

Any person, object, or action that has additional meaning beyond itself to represent or stand for a

more abstract emotion or idea.

SymbolismSymbol

POINT OF VIEW

A way of looking at or thinking about something: standpoint

FIRST PERSONPoint of view in which the narrator is a character in a story and uses pronouns such as I, me, and we.

2ND PERSONPoint of view in which the narrator talks directly to the reader using the pronoun, you.

THIRD PERSONPoint of view in which the narrator, who is outside the story, uses pronouns such as he, she, and they.

ANTHOLOGYA collection of literary pieces, such as poems, short stories, or playsYour workbook or literature textbook are examples of anthologies.

PARABLEA short simple story illustrating a moral or spiritual truth

PARABLEThe Obstacle in our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the kirig's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

PARABLEWho Is The Rich Man?

One day a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see how the poor lived. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "Very good, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?" The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the house; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have the whole horizon." When the little boy was finished, the father was speechless. His son then added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"

ANECDOTEA short account of an interesting or humorous incident.

ANECDOTE"After the long Minnesota winter, I was so happy to see the first signs of spring that I ran outside as soon as I saw our first flower blooming. I plucked the dewy, white blossom and tucked it into my hair band and went about my day with joy in my heart. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that my big white flower had been host to a dozen or so tiny bugs, that apparently enjoyed a new home in the warmth and security of my hair. I was soon itching and twitching like a scrappy dog. Next time I stop to smell the flowers, I'll make sure I'll do it with my eyes wide open."

SONNETIs written in iambic pentameter. It has14 lines which can be broken down into four sections called quatrains.

SONNETThe Tides

 I saw the long line of the vacant shore,The sea-weed and the shells upon the sand,And the brown rocks left bare on every handAs if the ebbing tide would flow no more.

Then heard I, more distinctly than before,The ocean breathe and its great breast expand,And hurrying came on the defenseless landThe insurgent waters with tumultuous roar.

All thought and feeling and desire, I said,Love, laughter, and the exultant joy of song,Have ebbed from me for ever! Suddenly o'er meThey swept again from their deep ocean bed,

And in a tumult of delight, and strongAs youth, and beautiful as youth, upbore me!  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow