Final Vocab Flashcards
Tragic flaw
A trait in a character leading to his downfall (character is often the hero)
Allusion
A reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature
Free verse
Poetry that doesn’t rhyme or have a regular meter
Dramatic irony
The words and actions of the characters of a work of literature have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the character, the reader has greater knowledge than the character
Hubris
Extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall
Aside
Remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by other characters
Blank verse
Poetry written in regular metrical but unrhymed lines (almost always iambic pentameter)
Syntax
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences
Anti-hero
A protagonist who is lacking in heroic qualities
Tragic hero
A great or virtuous character who is doomed for downfall, suffering, or defeat
Assonance
The occurrence of the same vowel sounds (starts with different consonants) of adjacent words
Irony
A figure of speech used so that their intended meaning is different than the actual meaning of the words
Paradox
Concepts or ideas that are contradictory to one another yet hold meaning when placed together
Comic relief
An amusing scene or incident introduced into serious or tragic elements to provide temporary relief
Onomatopoeia
The naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it
Flashback
An interjection of earlier events in a passage
Dialogue
The lines spoken by a character(s) in a passage
Mood
The atmosphere in a passage that evokes a certain emotion from the audience
Tone
An authors attitude towards a subject
Idiom
A group of words that had a meaning not deducible from individual words
Foreshadowing
When an author hints what is going to come in a passage
Imagery
The mental pictures that readers experience with a passage of literature
Alliteration
The occurrence of the same letter or sounds at the beginning of adjacent words
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
