Handbook of Literary Terms Flashcards
alliteration
the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together
allegory
a story or poem in which characters, settings, & events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities
allusion
a reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or some other branch of culture
ambiguity
a technique by which a writer deliberately suggest 2 or more different, & sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work
analogy
a comparison made between 2 things to show how they are alike
anapest
a metrical foot that has 2 unstressed syllables followed by 1 stressed syllable
ex. coexist (co-ex-ist…no stress-no stress-stressed)
anecdote
a very brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something
antagonist
the opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story
anthropomorphism
attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object
aphorism
a brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life
apostrophe
a technique by which a writer addresses an inanimate object, an idea, or a person who is either dead or absent
argument
a form of persuasion that appeals to reason, rather than emotion, to convince an audience to think or act in a certain way
assonance
the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different by different consonant sounds, especially in words close together
ex. The t-i-de r-i-ses, the t-i-de falls, The tw-i-l-i-ght darkens, the curlew calls
atmosphere
the mood or feeling created in a piece of writing
autobiography
an account of the writer’s own life
ballad
a song or poem that tells a story
folk ballads
ballads composed by unknown singers & passed on orally from 1 generation to the next
literary ballads
ballads written to imitate the sounds & subjects of folk ballads
biography
an account of someone’s life written by another person
blank verse
poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
cadence
the natural, rhythmic rise & fall of a language as it is normally spoken (different from “meter”)
caesura
a pause or break within a line of poetry
catalog
a list of things, people, or events
character
an individual in a story or play (note: always has human traits)
characterization
process by which writer reveals personality of a character
direct characterization
we don’t figure out what character’s personality is like - the writer tells us directly
indirect characterization
we have to exercise our own judgement, putting clues together to infer what a character is like (like we do in real life when we get to know someone)
static character
one who does not change much in course of a story
dynamic character
character who changes in some important way as a result of the story’s action
flat character
character that has few personality traits (can be summed up in single phrase like loyal sidekick or nosy neighbor)
round character
character that has more dimensions to their personality - s/he’s complex, just as real people are
cliché
a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless bc of overuse
climax
that point in a plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest
comedy
in general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by the main character or characters
conceit
an elaborate metaphor or other figure of speech that compares 2 things that are startlingly different
concrete poem
a poem in which the words are arranged on a page to suggest a visual representation of the subject
conflict
the struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story
internal conflict
conflict involving opposing forces w/in a person’s mind
external conflict
conflict that can exists between 2 people, btwn. person & nature or machine, or between a person & a whole society
connotation
the association & emotional overtones that have become attached to a word or phrase, in addition to its strict dictionary definition
what are words with strong connotations often called? (2 diff. phrases)
loaded words or suggestive words
consonance
the repetition of the same or similar final consonant sounds on accented syllables or in important words
ex. ticktock; singsong
couplet
2 consecutive rhyming lines of poetry
closed couplet
couplet where the 2 rhyming lines express a complete thought
dactyl
a metrical foot of 3 syllables in which the 1st syllable is stressed & the next 2 are unstressed
ex. tendency (ten-den-cy…stress,stress,no stress)
denouement
the conclusion (or resolution) of a story
description
1 of the 4 major forms of discourse, in which language is used to create a mood or emotion
(does this through sensory imagery)
dialect
a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area
diction
a speaker or writer’s choice of words
dramatic monologue
a poem in which a character speaks to one or more listeners
elegy
a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died
epic
a long narrative poem, written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society
epithet
a descriptive word or phrase that is frequently used to characterize a person or thing
ex. NYC’s epithet = The Big Apple
stock epithats
ex. epics like Homer’s Odyssey & Iliad… frequently use stock epithats over & over again to describe certain characters/places: “patient Penelope” “wily Odysseus” “earthquaker” (for Poseidon)
essay
a short piece of nonfiction prose in which the writer discusses some aspect of a subject
exposition
1 of the 4 major forms of discourse, in which something is explained or “set forth” (usually includes background info on characters, their setting & their problems)
fable
a very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life
farce
a type of comedy in which ridiculous & often stereotyped characters are involved in silly, far-fetched situations
figure of speech
a word or phrase that describes 1 thing in terms of another & that is not meant to be taken literally
name the most common figures of speech
simile, metaphor, personification, & symbol
what’s another name for figures of speech?
figurative language
flashback
a scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time
foil
a character who acts as a contrast to another character
foot
a metrical unit of poetry
iamb
common foot in English poetry
consists of unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable
foreshadowing
the use of hints & clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
free verse
poetry that doesn’t conform to a regular meter or rhyme scheme
list the traditional poetic elements that free verse uses
- imagery
- figures of speech
- repetition
- internal rhyme
- alliteration
- assonance
- onomatopoeia
hyperbole
a figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration, or overstatement, for effect
iamb
a metrical foot in poetry that has an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, as in the word “protect”
iambic pentameter
a line of poetry that contains 5 iambic feet
idiom
an expression that means something different from the literal definitions of its parts
imagery
the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience
imagism
a 20th century movement in European & American poetry that advocated the creation of hard, clear images, concisely expressed in everyday speech
impressionism
a 19th century movement in literature and art that advocated a recording of the artist’s personal impressions of the world, rather than a strict representation of reality
incongruity
the deliberate joining of opposites or of elements that are not appropriate to each other
interior monologue
a narrative technique that records a character’s internal flow of thoughts, memories, & ideas
internal rhyme
rhyme that occurs within a line of poetry or within consecutive lines
inversion
the reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase
irony
in general, a discrepancy between appearances & reality
verbal irony
occurs when someone says 1 thing but really means something else (aka sarcasm)
situational irony
takes place when there is a discrepancy btwn. what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, & what really does happen
lyric poem
a poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of a speaker
magic realism
a genre developed in Latin America that juxtaposes the everyday with the marvelous or magical
metaphor
a figure of speech that makes a comparison btwn. 2 unlike things w/out the use of such specific words of comparison as “like”, “as”, “than”, or “resembles”
directly stated metaphor
states comparison explicitly
ex. “Fame is a bee”
implied metaphor
doesn’t state explicitly the 2 terms of the comparison
extended metaphor
metaphor that’s extended or developed over a # of lines or w/ several examples
dead metaphor
metaphor that’s been used so often that the comparison is no longer vivid
ex. seat of govt.; head of the house
mixed metaphor
metaphor that fails to make a logical comparison bc its mixed terms are visually or imaginatively incompatible
meter
a pattern of stressed & unstressed syllable in poetry
scanning (the poem)
looking over all the little stressed & unstressed symbols
list 4 ways meter is described
- iambic
- trochaic
- dactylic
- anapestic
metonymy
a figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it
ex. referring to a king or queen as “the crown”
ex. calling a car “wheels”
modernism
term for the bold new experimental styles & forms that swept the arts during the 1st 3rd of the 20th century
motivation
the reasons for a character’s behavior
myth
an anonymous traditional story that’s basically religious in nature & that usually serves to explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious natural phenomenon
narrative
the form of discourse that tells about a series of events
chronological order
in the order in which the events occured
name 4 major forms of discourse
- description
- exposition
- persuasion
- narrative
naturalism
a 19th century literary movement that was an extension of realism & that claimed to portray life exactly as it was
objective correlative
an object, a situation, or a chain of events that serves as the formula for a specific emotion
octave
an 8 line poem, or the 1st 8 lines of a Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet
ode
a lyric poem, usually long, on a serious subject & written in dignified language
onomatopoeia
the use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning
oxymoron
a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase
ex. sweet sorrow
ex. deafening silence
parable
a relatively short story that teaches a moral, or lesson, about how to lead a good life
paradox
a statement that appears self-contradictory but that reveals a kind of truth
ex. “I taste a liquor never brewed”
parallel structure (aka parallelism)
the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures
parody
a work that makes fun of another work by imitating some aspect of the writer’s style
personfication
a figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
persuasion
1 of the 4 forms of discourse, which uses reason & emotional appeals to convince a reader to think or act in a certain way
plain style
a way of writing that stresses simplicity & clarity of expression
plot
the series of related events in a story or play, sometimes called the story line
complications
in plot, arise as the characters take steps to resolve their conflicts
rising action
refers to all actions that take place before the turning point (aka crisis)
turning point (aka crisis)
point at which hero experiences a reversal of fortune (not always for the better… Shakespeare anyone?)
falling action
all action after turning point - leads to final resolution (happy or unhappy) of the conflict
where does the major climax in most plays & novels take place?
just before the ending
point of view
the vantage point from which the writer tells a story
list the 4 main points of view
- 1st person
- 3rd person limited
- omniscient
- objective
first person point of view
one of the characters in the story tells the story, using 1st person pronouns such as “I” & “we”
3rd person limited point of view
an unknown narrator (usually thought of as the author) tell the story, but this narrator zooms in to focus on the thoughts & feelings of only 1 character (uses he, she, they as pronouns so 3rd person)
omniscient point of view
an omniscient, or “all-knowing”, narrator tells the story, also using the 3rd person pronouns but doesn’t focus on 1 character, rather tells us everything about many characters
objective point of view
narrator who’s totally impersonal & objective tell story w/ no comment on any characters or events
postmodernism
term for the dominant trend in the arts since 1945
protagonist
the central character in a story, the one who initiates or drives the action
proverb
a short, well-known statement that expresses a common truth or experience
pun
a “play on words” based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but mean different things
quatrain
a poem consisting of 4 lines, or 4 lines of a poem that can be considered as a unit
realism
a style of writing, developed in the 19th century, that attempts to depict life accurately w/out idealizing or romanticizing it
refrain
a word, phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated, for effect, several times in a poem
regionalism
literature that emphasizes a specific geographic setting & that reproduces the speech, behavior, & attitudes of the people who live in that region
resolution
the conclusion of a story, when all or most of the conflicts have been settled
rhetorical question
a question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer
(these questions presume the audience agrees w/ the speaker on the answers)
rhyme
the repetition of vowel sounds in accented syllables & all succeeding syllables
internal rhyme
when words w/in the same line of poetry have repeated sounds
end rhyme
refers to rhyming words at the ends of lines
rhyme scheme
the pattern of rhymes in a poem
commonly indicated w/ letters of the alphabet, each rhyming sound represented by diff. letter
approximate rhymes (aka off rhymes, half rhymes, imperfect rhymes, or slant rhymes)
words that have some correspondence in sound but not an exact one
ex. flash & flesh
ex. stream & storm
ex. early & barley
rhythm
the alternation of stressed & unstressed syllables in language
romance
in general, a story in which an idealized hero or heroine undertakes a quest & is successful
romanticism
a revolt against rationalism that affected literature & the other arts, beginning in the late 18th century & remaining strong throughout most of the 19th century
satire
a type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change
*always intensely moral in its purpose
scanning
the analysis of a poem to determine its meter
sestet
6 lines of poetry, especially the last 6 lines of a Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet
setting
the time & location in which a story takes place
what are the 3 things setting creates?
- conflict
- atmosphere or mood
- creates & delineates character
simile
a figure of speech that makes an explicit comparison between 2 unlike things, using a word such as “like”, “as”, “than”, or “resembles”
slant rhyme
a rhyming sound that is not exact
ex. follow/fellow
ex. mystery/mastery
soliloquy
a long speech made by a character in a play while no other characters are on stage
sonnet
a 14 line poem, usually written in iambic pentameter, that has 1 of 2 basic structures
Petrarchan sonnet (aka the Italian sonnet)
1st 8 lines (called octave) ask a question or pose a problem
last 6 lines (called sestet) respond to question or problem
English / Elizabethan / Shakespearean sonnet
sonnet w/ 3 four-line units (quatrains)
concludes w/ couplet
sound effects
the use of sounds to create specific literary effects
spondee
a metrical foot consisting of 2 syllables, both of which are stressed
ex. nineteen
ex. true-blue
sterotype
a fixed idea or conception of a character or an idea that doesn’t allow for any individuality, & is often based on religious, social, or racial prejudices
another name for stereotypes?
stock characters
stream of consciousness
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character’s mind
style
the distinctive way in which a writer uses language
surrealism
a movement in art & literature that started in Europe during the 1920s. Surrealists wanted to replace conventional realism w/ the full expression of the unconscious mind, which they considered to be more real than the “real” world of appearances
suspense
a feeling of uncertainty & curiosity about what will happen next in a story
symbol
a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself & that also stands for something more than itself
symbolism
a literary movement that originated in late 19th century France, in which writers rearranged the world of appearances in order to reveal a more truthful version of reality
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole
ex. capital city being spoken of like its the govt… Washington & Tehran are both claiming…”
synesthesia
the juxtaposition of 1 sensory image w/ another image that appeals to an unrelated sense (basically combining diff. sensory images into a conflicting phrase)
ex. “sweet laugher”
tall tale
an outrageously exaggerated, humorous story that’s obviously unbelievable
theme
the insight about human life that’s revealed in a literary work
tone
the attitude a writer takes towards the subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audience
tragedy
in general, a story in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some other unhappy end
transcendentalism
a 19th century movement in the Romantic tradition, which held that every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends reason & sensory experience
trochee
a metrical foot made up of an accented syllable followed by an unaccented syllable, as in the word taxi
understatement
a statement that says less than what it means
vernacular
the language spoken by the people who live in a particular locality
