Glossary #2 Flashcards
Definition - When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.
Foreshadowing
Example - If a character mentions that they have a bad feeling about going to a party, you may expect something bad to happen at the party, due to this device.
Foreshadowing
Impact - Gives the reader a hint and insight into what may happen in the future.
Foreshadowing
Definition - The major category into which a literary work fits.
Genre
Definition - Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear, and/or death. Also refers to an architectural style of the Middle Ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period.
Gothic
Example - Edgar Allen Poe’s works
Gothic
Definition - Word or words that create a picture in the reader’s mind. Usually, this involves the five senses.
Imagery
Example - Her eyes were shimmering like golden stars.
Imagery
Impact - Enhances description with sensory details, immersing and engaging readers.
Imagery
Definition - A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.
Invective
Example - “You sniveling, cowardly cur! You’re nothing but a spineless worm, afraid to stand up for yourself!”
Invective
Impact - This language creates an intense feeling of anger in writing.
Invective
Definition - When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
Irony
Definition - When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.
Verbal Irony
Example - If your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it a “walk in the park” it would be…
Verbal Irony
Impact - This device can add sarcasm and bitterness to your tone.
Verbal Irony
Definition - When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn’t and would be surprised to find out.
Dramatic Irony
Example - In many horror movies, we (the audience) know who the killer is, but the victim-to-be has no idea who is doing the slaying.
Dramatic Irony
Impact - This device creates suspense and tension, as well as engages the reader.
Dramatic Irony
Definition - Found in the plot (or storyline) of a book, story, or movie: the outcome is the opposite of what is expected.
Situational Irony
Example - A fire station burns down in a story.
Situational Irony
Impact - This can bring humor and an element of surprise to writing.
Situational Irony
Definition - Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.
Juxtaposition
Example - The average day of a typical American paired with that of someone in the third world to make a point of social commentary
Juxtaposition
Impact - Allows for clarity in ideas and expresses a point through contrast.
Juxtaposition
Definition - The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). (reader’s feelings)
Mood
Definition - A recurring idea in a piece of literature.
Motif
Example - In To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea that “you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view”
Motif
Impact - Allows for a specific point or value to be emphasized, resonating with the audience.
Motif
Definition - When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox
Oxymoron
Example - “jumbo shrimp.”
Oxymoron
Impact - This device adds complexity and irony/humor to writing.
Oxymoron
Definition - The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.
Pacing
Example - “The car screeched around the corner, tires squealing. Rain lashed against the windshield, blurring the already fading light. He slammed on the brakes, his heart hammering against his ribs. A figure emerged from the shadows, a glint of metal in their hand.” (fast-____)
Pacing
Impact - This device can change the mood of the writing, as well as build suspense and emotion through varying tempos.
Pacing
Definition - A seemingly contradictory situation that is actually true.
Paradox
Example - “The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.”
Paradox
Impact - Highlights challenging assumptions and the complexities of human experience.
Paradox
Definition - Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.
Parallelism
Example - “Cinderella swept the floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rugs.”
Parallelism
Impact - Adds emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing.
Parallelism
Definition - Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row.
Anaphora
Example - “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
Anaphora
Impact - Brings coherence through deliberate beginning repetition.
Anaphora
Definition - When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.
Chiasmus
Example - “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
Chiasmus
Impact - Creates balance and rhythm and deepens an idea through contrast.
Chiasmus
Definition - Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure.
Antithesis
Example - “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
Antithesis
Impact - Adds clarity and enhances artistic effect in writing through contrast.
Antithesis
Definition - When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.
Zeugma (Syllepsis)
Example - “The butler killed the lights, and then the mistress.”
Zeugma (Syllepsis)
Impact - This device adds conciseness and unexpected connections and possibly creates humor.
Zeugma (Syllepsis)
Definition - Used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence. It is almost considered an aside…a whisper, and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly.
Parenthetical Idea
Example - “The dog, a scruffy terrier mix (who always seemed to be muddy), greeted me with enthusiastic barks.”
Parenthetical Idea
Impact - Adds detail, context, and clarity, and makes a connection and interaction with readers through creating asides.
Parenthetical Idea
Definition - An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original and pokes fun at it.
Parody
Example - “It was the best of dogs, it was the worst of dogs, it was the age of fetching, it was the age of chewing…” (referencing Charles Dickens’s work)
Parody
Definition - The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.
Persona
