Definitions Quiz (literacy Terms) Flashcards
Foreboding
Fearful apprehension, a feeling something bad will happen
Metaphor
Direct comparison to 2 unlike things without using like, as or than
Dramatic irony
Situation in which the audience has knowledge the character is lacking
Verbal irony
Statement made by an individual, stating one thing but implying another
Situational irony
Incongruity between what we are led to believe by the author to expect will happen and the actual outcome of events
Pathos
Feeling of extreme sympathy
Pathetic fallacy
When nature mirrors human actions or emotions
Theme
Central topic a text treats
Biblical allusion
Reference to the bible
Historical allusion
Reference to historical event
Literal allusion
Reference to another work of literature
Personification
Giving human qualities to nonhuman things
Plot
Plot is a literary term used to describe the events that make up a story or the main part of a story. These events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence. The structure of a novel depends on the organization of events in the plot of the story
Exposition
introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc. to the audience or readers.
Inciting force
The event or character that triggers the conflict.
Rising action
series of events when action increases in interest leading to climax
Falling action
conflict is unraveled; events leading to resolution
Crisis
The conflict reaches a turning point. At this point the opposing forces in the story meet and the conflict becomes most intense. The crisis occurs before or at the same time as the climax.
Climax
The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion.
Dénouement
Definition of Denouement The denouement of a story occurs just after the climax and is the final moment in which there is resolution for any remaining conflicts in the plot. All the loose ends of the plot are tied up in this last scene, secrets are revealed, and there may be a sense of catharsis for the reader or audience
Internal conflict
a struggle that occurs in a character’s mind; man vs. himself
External conflict
struggle between two opposing forces outside of a character’s mind; man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature
Round character
character who exemplifies a lot of traits; well-developed; multi-faceted;reader knows more about them
Flat character
a character who is not well developed; you see only one trait
Static character
a character who remains the same throughout the story; not changed by the action of the plot
Dynamic character
a charecter who develops, grows, changes, during the course of the action of the story
Protagonist
The main character in the story
Antagonist
Opposition to the main character
Stock character
Understands a character from traditions (stereotypical)
Foil character
Highlights characteristics in another character
Setting
the time, place, and historical context in which a story takes place
Time
Period when story takes place (era)
Place
Area where story takes place
Atmosphere
Feelings or emotions a writer conveys
Point of view
vantage from which the story is told; determines the type and amount of information the writer can reveal
1st person
the story is told by a character using the pronoun “I”; the reader sees only what the character reveals; the narrator may not be reliable; the reader often connects personally with the narrator
3rd person point of view objective
The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.
Third person limited
The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.
Third person omniscient
The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.
Stream of consciousness
A persons thoughts and conscious reactions to events perceived as a conscious flow, uninterrupted by objective
Instructive narrator
Allows the novel tone used for general moral contemporary
Naive
Most often a character within a story whose voice is used to create a sense of ironic observations through their own in experience
Meditative narrator
Protagonist and antagonist narrarate story
Bias
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair
Tone
The attitude of a writer toward subject or audience (voice within writing)
Personification
Human traits are given to non-human things
Figurative language
Figurative language is using figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive and impactful. Figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, allusions go beyond the literal meanings of the words to give the readers new insights
Allusion
Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.
Imagery
Uses words that appeal to sense and that paints a picture using words
Visual imagery
Visual imagery appeals to the sense of sight, and plays the largest role in imagery in literature. It describes what a scene or character looks like
Auditory imagery
Auditory imagery describes specific sounds that are happening within the story
Symbolism
the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
Motif
Is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work with a symbolic significance that helps develop theme
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story
Flashback
Flashbacks are interruptions that writers do to insert past events in order to provide background or context to the current events of a narrative. By using flashbacks, writers allow their readers to gain insight into a character’s motivation and provide a background to a current conflict.
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.
Hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration
Understatement
An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.
Paradox
It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas.
Oxymoron
Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect
Euphony
The literary device euphony is derived from the Greek word “euphonos” that means sweet-voiced. It can be defined as the use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having a wide range of noteworthy melody or loveliness in the sounds they create. It gives pleasing and soothing effects to the ears due to repeated vowels and smooth consonants
Cacophony
If we speak literally, cacophony points to a situation where there is a mixture of harsh and inharmonious sounds. In literature, however, the term refers to the use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing and unmelodious sounds primarily those of consonants to achieve desired results.
Allegory
An allegory is a work of art, such as a story or painting, in which the characters, images, and/or events act as symbols. The symbolism in an allegory can be interpreted to have a deeper meaning.
Satire
Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire uses fictional characters, which stand for real people, to expose and condemn their corruption.
Diction
Diction can be defined as style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer
Denotation
Denotation is generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings.
Connotation
Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations.
Dialect
The language used by the people of a specific area, class, district or any other group of people. The term dialect involves the spelling, sounds, grammar and pronunciation used by a particular group of people and it distinguishes them from other people around them.
Irony
The use of irony in literature refers to playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence or word is actually different from the literal meaning.
Allusion
An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned.
