Home School Partners - CLEP - Analyzing & Interpreting Literature - Literary Terms 1 Flashcards
Alliteration
Repetition of consonants at the beginning of words:
“Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before…”
Allusion
A reference to literature or art or history:
“Thanks for being such a Good Samaritan.”
Aside
Words spoken by a character in a play that the other characters are not supposed to hear.
Catharsis
A release of emotional tension after a character’s overwhelming experience (the reader gets this feeling after sympathizing with the character).
Cliche
A phrase that’s been used so often that it’s boring or tiresome, like “Fit as a fiddle” or “That’s not good.”
Comic Relief
A humorous section of a story that releases built-up tension and gives the reader a chance to relax.
Connotation
The suggested “extra meaning” in a word or words, beyond the dictionary meaning. Choosing the word “ancient,” instead of “seasoned,” to describe an old man, connotes that he is out of touch and inflexible, instead of wise and understanding.
Denotation
The literal, dictionary definition of a word or phrase.
Diction
A writer’s choice of words to denote or *connote” his meaning.
Didactic
A writer’s intent to teach a moral lesson in a piece of writing.
Expressionism
A technique used to show not actual reality, but instead, a subjective expression of inner experiences and feelings.
Flashback
An earlier event that is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative.
Foreshadowing
Using clues or hints to suggest at what is going to happen later in the story.
Hamartia
A tragic hero’s fatal flaw.
Homonym
A word that is pronounced exactly the same as another, but with different meanings and/or spellings (“bark” for tree skin or a dog’s sound; or “their,” they’re,” and “there”).
