English II STAAR Vocabulary

When a nonhuman figure or element is given human-like qualities or characteristics

Events and incidents relevant to the plot that occur after the climax

When someone says something but means the opposite

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Argument appealing to logic

When the audience is aware of the true intentions or outcomes, while the characters are not

A series of relevant incidents that create suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative

Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect

A struggle between opposing forces

A literary device that refers to a well-known story, event, person, or object

Argument appealing to ethics

Any character who highlights traits of another character by having near opposite traits

A type of metaphor that compares two things using “like” or “as”

The opponent or enemy of the main character, or protagonist

A scene in a story that occurred before the present time in the story

When something happens that’s the opposite of what was expected or intended to happen

Character speaks to audience directly; other characters are not supposed to hear

The story teller reveals details of the plot from their own point of view

The author uses the pronouns “you” and “your” and draws the reader into the story

Language that portrays sensory experiences, or experiences of the five senses

The very end of the story

The main or central character of a work of literature

The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse

When the author compares one thing to another

The big idea the writer is trying to share with the reader

The statement the author is making

Assuming what you are attempting to prove

A unit of rhythm in poetry

Uses words in some way other than for their literal meanings to add meaning to writing

Reveals the faults and flaws of the world around them through their innocence

The reason for writing

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

The point in a plot at which the conflict reaches its greatest intensity and is then resolved

Argument appealing to emotion

The feeling the reader gets from a work of literature

The author’s opinion on a certain topic

Indicates the attitude the writer has about the subject

The part of an essay or speech that encourages the reader to take action related to the topic

This is the point of view of an outsider looking at the action

The catalyst that begins the major conflict