CA3 Terms Flashcards
the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words
alliteration
references to persons or events in the past or in literature
allusions
the character or force against which the main character struggles in a literary work
antagonist
a protagonist who has the opposite characteristics of a traditional hero
anti-hero
the person or persons who will read or hear the literary work
audience
the written history of a person’s life
biography
the methods used to show the personalities of the characters in a literary work
characterization
the turning point in the story where the main character is faced with solving a conflict
climax
a humorous literary work, such as a play, having a happy ending
comedy
the struggle between opposing forces around which the action of a literary work revolves
conflict
the final outcome or resolution of the main conflict of the story
denouement
conversations among characters
dialogue
the choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language in a work of literature
diction
a story told by actors who portray the characters
drama
a character who is changed by the action of the story
dynamic character
a concluding section at the end of a literary work, such as a novel or play
epilogue
the beginning part of the story where the characters, setting, and conflict are introduced
exposition
a brief story with a moral message, often including animals as characters
fable
prose works of literature that are partly or totally imaginary
fiction
imaginative language such as similes and metaphors
figures of speech (figurative language)
an instance where a work presents material that occurred before the opening scene of the work, through a memory, dream, etc.
flashback
a character who is in sharp contrast to the protagonist in order to point out the protagonist’s qualities
foil
hints or clues given to suggest what will happen later in the story
foreshadowing
the kind or type of literary composition, such as a novel, biography, or sonnet
genre
using figurative language and description to convey mental images that appeal to our senses
imagery
a written account, usually in book form, of the interesting experiences of one’s life
memoir (autobiography)
comparing two things by suggesting one thing is another thing
metaphor
the rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line of a poem
meter
the atmosphere or feeling created by a work of literature
mood
the voice and implied speaker of a fictional work; the person who tells the story
narrator
prose writing that contains facts about real people and events
nonfiction
a long work of narrative fiction
novel
words that sound like their meaning, for example, buzz, clank, or splat
onomatopoeia
a brief story that teaches a lesson
parable
a composition written for dramatic performance on the stage
play
literature that is written in a style closely corresponding to the patterns of everyday speech
prose
a recurrence of an accented sound or sounds in a piece of writing
rhyme
how the words flow when they are linked with one another in a poem
rhythm
the part of the story where the conflict is developed
rising action
the series of events that happen in a literary work
plot
writing that is highly structured and uses condensed, vivid language, figures of speech, and often meter and rhyme to create a specific emotional response
poetry
the vantage point from which the author tells the story
point of view
the main character in a literary work; hero or heroine
protagonist
the time and place of the action of the story
setting
a short work of narrative fiction
short story
comparing two things by using the words “like” or “as”
simile
a character who changes little or not at all throughout the story
static character
the framework on which the story is built, such as plots, subplots, characters, and scenes
structure
the distinctive way an author uses words and sentences
style
anticipation as to the outcome of events in a story
suspense
The arrangement of words in sentences
syntax
a short, simple narrative of events told in a direct manner without detailed description of characters
tale
The central idea, message, or meaning of a literary work
theme
the attitude of a writer toward the subject of a composition
tone
a serious play with a tragic end
tragedy
