Glossary 2 Flashcards
When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story
Foreshadowing
Example: “A pair of star-crossed lovers…Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife” Romeo and Juliet
Foreshadowing
Impact: it makes the stories more cohesive by preparing the readers emotionally while also creating suspense and making the impact of awaited events more profound.
Foreshadowing
The major category into which a literary work fits.
Genre
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: “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe
Gothic
Word or words that create a picture in the reader’s mind.
Imagery
Example: metaphors, similes, or figures of speech.
Imagery
Impact: allows writers to appeal to a reader’s senses of sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound, as well as internal emotion and feelings
Imagery
A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.
Invective
Example: “I don’t think she ever had an interest in you and she never will, despite your efforts.”
Invective
Impact: serves as a powerful tool for emphasis and persuasion; also carries the potential to harm or discredit
Invective
When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
Irony
When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.
Verbal irony
Example: your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it a “walk in the park”
Verbal irony
Impact: adds humor or sarcasm to the text
Verbal irony
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: when we (the audience) know who the killer is, which the victim-to-be has no idea who is doing the slaying.
Dramatic irony
Impact: Enhances the readers engagement and suspense
Dramatic irony
Found in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie. Sometimes it makes you laugh because it’s funny how things turn out.
Situational irony
Example: Johnny spent two hours planning on sneaking into the movie theater and missed the movie. When he finally did manage to sneak inside he found out that kids were admitted free that day
Situational irony
Impact: Often helps the reader understand the theme or message of a text
Situational irony
Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.
Juxtaposition
Example: comparing the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world in order to make a point of social commentary
Juxtaposition
Impact: done to make or emphasize a point
Juxtaposition
The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction)
Mood
a recurring idea in a piece of literature
Motif
Example: “you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view” To Kill a Mockingbird
Motif
Impact: contributes to the development of the theme and symbolizes significance
Motif
When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox
Oxymoron
Example: “wise fool,”
Oxymoron
Impact: used to invoke specific feelings or highlight contradictions within characters, settings, or themes
Oxymoron
The speed or tempo of an author’s writing
Pacing
Example:
Pacing
Impact: balances action-packed sequences with slower, more reflective moments, allowing readers to digest complex characters and plot developments
Pacing
A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.
Paradox
Example: “You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without getting a job.”
Paradox
Impact: creates tension and potential suspense for the reader
Paradox
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: used to add emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing.
Parallelism
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: helps make the writer’s point more coherent
Anaphora
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: makes the text sound more formal and “artsy”
Chiasmus
Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure
Antithesis
Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
Antithesis
Impact: create a vivid contrast and to emphasize the significance of the opposing ideas or elements
Antithesis
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.
Zuegma (Syllepsis)
Example: “The butler killed the lights, and then the mistress.”
Zuegma (Syllepsis)
Impact: it connects the sentence and helps keep the audience engaged
Zuegma (Syllepsis)
Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence.
Parenthetical Idea
Example: “In a short time (and the time is getting shorter by the gallon) America will be out of oil.”
Parenthetical Idea
Impact: separates a phrase/sentence from the rest of the passage
Parenthetical Idea
An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes.
Parody
Example: The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Larry Sanders Show are renowned for mimicking famous political personalities,
Parody
The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story
Persona
