Glossary of terms Flashcards
A general term, referring to a broad concept, as opposed to a term that refers to a specific, particular thing; opposite of concrete
abstract
A literary work that portrays abstract ideas concretely. Characters are frequently personification of abstract ideas and are given names that refer to these ideas
allegory
The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words or syllables
alliteration
A reference to another work of literature, or to art, history, or current events
allusion
Repetition of an initial word or words to add emphasis
anaphora
a figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other
antithesis
A direct address to an abstraction, a thing, an animal, or an imaginary or absent person
apostrophe
when a character in a work of fiction addresses the audience directly for a moment to either express a truth, reveal a feeling, or comment on the events of the story
aside
The repetition of vowel sounds in a sequence of words
assonance
Unrhymed iambic pentameter
Most commonly used verse form in English because it is the verse form that comes closest to natural patterns of speaking in English
blank verse
A pause within a line of poetry, sometimes punctuated, sometimes not, often mirroring natural speech
caesura
Refers to the emotional release felt by the audience at the end of a tragic drama
catharsis
Usually used to refer to a dramatic work that, in contrast to tragedy, has a light, amusing plot, features a happy ending, centers around ordinary people, and is written and performed in the vernacular
comedy
An instance in which identical final consonant sounds in nearby words follow different vowel sounds.
consonance
a pair of end-rhymed lines of verse that are self-contained in grammatical structure and meaning
couplet
“untying the knot”
In this phase of a story’s plot, the conflict has been resolved and balance is restored to the world of the story
denouement
A writer’s choice of words
diction
a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones
dilemma
A type of poem in which the speaker, who is clearly distinct form the poet, addresses an audience that is present in the poem
dramatic monologue
A contemplative poem, on death and mortality, often written for someone who has died
elegy
A poetic technique in which one line ends without a pause and must continue on to the next line to complete its meanings; also referred to as a “run-on line”
enjambment
long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds
epic
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
euphemism
An excessive level of pride that leads to the protagonist’s downfall
hubris
Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or ironic effect; an overstatement to make a point
hyperbole
The most common metrical foot in English poetry, is made up of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one.
iambic pentameter
whenever a person says something or does something that departs from what they (or we) expect them to say or do
irony
A figure of speech that compares or equates two things without using like or as
metaphor
A figure of speech in which something is represented by another thing that is related to it
metonymy
A recurring patterns of images, words, or symbols that reveals a theme in a work of literature
motif
A revival of classical aesthetics and forms
neoclassicism
A reply or remark that does not have any relevance to what occasioned or preceded it
non sequitur
An eight-line stanza or poem
octave
A form of poetry used to meditate on or address a single object or condition
Ode
A statement that seems contradictory but actually is not
paradox
Literature that employs a romanticized description of leisurely farm or rural life
pastoral
A voice and viewpoint that an author adopts in order to deliver a story or poem
persona
A figure of speech in which an animal or an inanimate object is imbued with human qualities
personification
The perspective from which a work is told
point of view
The repetition of the same (or similar) vowel or consonant sounds or constructions
rhyme
Late eighteenth to early nineteenth century movement that emphasized beauty for beauty’s sake, the natural world, emotion, imagination, the value of a nation’s past and its folklore, and the heroic roles of the individual and the artist
romanticism
A literary work that uses irony to critique society or an individual
satire
The analysis of the metrical patterns of a poem by organizing its lines into feet of stressed and unstressed syllables and showing the major pauses, if any
scansion
In a play, a monologue in which a character, alone on the stage, reveals his or her thoughts or emotions
soliloquy
A poetic form composed of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter that adheres to a particular rhyme scheme
sonnet
In drama the character who is currently delivering lines. In poetry, the person who is expressing a point of view in the poem.
speaker
A technique in which prose follows the logic and flow of a character’s thought processes rather than a more ordered narrative
stream of consciousness
A setting, object, or event in a story that carries more than literal meaning and therefore represents something significant to understanding the meaning of a work of literature
symbol
a verse form composed of iambic tercets (three-line groupings)
terza rima
A speaker’s attitude as exposed through stylistic choices.
tone
A serious dramatic work in which the protagonist experiences a series of unfortunate reversals due to some character trait referred to as a tragic flaw.
tragedy
A form of poetry in which a quatrain follows five tercets.
villanelle
the rhetorical mixture of vocabulary, tone, point of view, and syntax that makes phrases, sentences, and paragraphs flow in a particular manner
voice
