English Exam Terminology Flashcards
alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
“the alliteration of “sweet birds sang”
allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Chocolate is his Kryptonite. In this example, the word “kryptonite” alludes to, or hints at, the hero Superman
antagonist
a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.
“he turned to confront his antagonist”
arête
a humble character that strives for self improvement/perfection
aside
a remark or passage in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play.
assonance
repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants
blank verse
verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter.
characterization
the creation or construction of a fictional character.
chorus
part of a song that is repeated after each verse, typically by more than one singer.
climax
the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.
Internal Conflict
a character may struggle with a fear of heights, a desire for power, or a need to live up to someone’s expectations.
External conflict
a type of conflict that places characters at odds with forces outside themselves.
connotation
a meaning suggested by a word or an expression in addition to its exact meaning. “Shes feeling blue” As blue is meaning sadness
couplet
two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit.
denotation
the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.
“beyond their immediate denotation, the words have a connotative power”
denouement
the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
“the film’s denouement was unsatisfying and ambiguous”
dialogue
conversation between two people
diction
the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.
“Wordsworth campaigned against exaggerated poetic diction”
enjambment
he continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next
episode
an event or a group of events occurring as part of a larger sequence; an incident or period considered in isolation.
“the latest episode in the feud”
epithet
an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
“old men are often unfairly awarded the epithet “dirty.””
exodos
A final scene or departure in a play, especially a tragedy.
figurative meaning
used not with their basic meaning but with a more imaginative meaning, in order to create a special effect
literal meaning
the understanding of information and facts directly stated in the text.
foil
a character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show to advantage some aspect of the second character
foreshadowing
a narrative device in which suggestions or warnings about events to come are dropped or planted.
hubris
a personality quality of extreme or excessive pride or dangerous overconfidence, often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance.
hyperbole
a figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect
iambic pentameter
a type of verse that alternates short syllables and long syllables to create a rhythm
imagery
vivid language designed to appeal to these senses.
irony
whenever a person says something or does something that departs from what they (or we) expect them to say or do
metaphor
a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. EX: Life is a highway; Her eyes are diamonds
meter
the rhythmic pattern of a poetic line
monologue
an extended speech by one person
mood
a feeling that can refer to the emotional state of mind of a person/character or the atmosphere of a story
motif
a repeated pattern—an image, sound, word, or symbol that comes back again and again within a particular story.
ode
A formal, often ceremonious lyric poem that addresses and often celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea.
onomatopoeia
the naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds POW!
oxymoron
a figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings, like “old news,” “deafening silence,” or “organized chaos.”
parados
A side entrance to an Ancient Greek theater, affording access to the stage or orchestra
paradox
a literary device that appears to contradict itself but contains some truth, theme, or humor
personification
emphasize a non-human’s characteristics by describing them with human attributes
plot
the structure of interrelated actions, consciously selected and arranged by the author.
point of view
the writer’s way of deciding who is telling the story to whom
protagonist
the character who drives the action–the character whose fate matters most
pun
a joke
quatrain
A four-line stanza, often with various rhyme schemes,
rhetoric
language used to motivate, inspire, inform, or persuade readers and/or listeners.
ethos
pathos
logos
Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments. Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.
rhyme
he repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line.
simile
“like the moon” “as the sun”
soliloquy
a monologue that is delivered when the character is alone
sonnet
A 14-line poem with a variable rhyme scheme
stanza
a division of a poem consisting of two or more lines arranged together as a unit.
stasimon
A song of the chorus during a tragedy, continued without the interruption of dialogue or anapaestics.
stichomythia
dialogue especially of altercation or dispute delivered by two actors in alternating lines
strophe
signified the first section of a choral ode
symbol
an object, a person, a situation, or an action that has a literal meaning in a story but suggests or represents other meanings.
syntax
the set of rules that determines the arrangement of words in a sentence.
theme
a central, unifying idea.
tragedy
branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual.
