D List Literary Devices Flashcards
a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones (i.e., fluttering, blueberry)
dactyl
two things split apart
dichotomy
a meter in which a majority of the feet are dactyls
dactylic meter
the dictionary meaning of a word
denotation
“untying the knot;” in plot, conflict has been resolved and balance is restored in the world of the story
denouement
“machine of the gods;” the supernatural intervention by the gods or god to resolve entanglements of a play or a predicament of the protagonist
deus ex machina
dialogue or narration written to simulate regional or cultural speech patterns
dialect
the conversation of characters in a literary work
dialogue
the selection of words in a literary work; forms one of its centrally important literary elements, as writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes, identify themes, and suggest values
diction
poetry having as a primary purpose to teach or preach
didactic poetry
a situation in which a character must choose between two courses of action, both undesirable
dilemma
a metrical line containing two feet
dimeter
the method of characterization in which the author by exposition or analysis, tells us directly what a character is like, or has someone else in the story do so (narrator tells)
direct presentation of character
any dramatic device which, though it departs from reality, is implicitly accepted by author and audience as a means of representing reality
dramatic convention
the presentation through dialogue of info about events that occurred before the action of a play, or that occur offstage or between the staged actions; this may also refer to the presentation of info about individual characters’ backgrounds or the general situation *historical, political, etc.) in which the action takes place
dramatic exposition
the situation, whether actual or fictional, realistic or fanciful, in which an author places his or her characters in order to express the theme
dramatic framework
tension created by the contrast between what a character says or thinks and what the audience or readers know to be true; as a result of this technique, some words or actions in a story or play take on a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters
dramatic irony
a type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener; as readers, we overhear the speaker
dramatic monologue
Latin for a list of the characters or persons in a play
dramatis personae
the presentation of character or of emotion through the speech or action of characters rather than through exposition, analysis, or description by the author
dramatization
a meter in which a majority of the feet contain two syllables; iambic and trochaic are both examples
duple meter
a character who, during the course of story, undergoes a permanent change in some distinguishing moral qualities, personal traits, or outlook
dynamic character
a type of drama, allied to comedy, radically nonrealistic in both content and presentation, that emphasizes the absurdity, emptiness, or meaninglessness of life
drama of the absurd
