Key terminology Flashcards
Bildungsroman
Coming of age or ‘education’ novel.
Byronic
A term referring to Lord Byron, used to describe a type of hero of Romantic literature: dark, brooding and dangerous.
Context
The circumstances surrounding the influence of a text.
First person narrative
A story told from the point of view of the central character, using ‘I’.
Gothic
A story of cruel passions and supernatural terrors, usually in a medieval setting.
Imagery
Figurative language used including metaphors and similes.
Irony
The use of words to convey the opposite of the literal meaning; incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.
Metaphor
A descriptive device which states that one thing is another, figuratively rather than literally.
Omniscient
Literally all-knowing- a type of narrator who knows more about the story than the characters.
Pathetic fallacy
A way of emphasising mood by linking it to the surrounding world.
Pathos
Moments which evoke strong feelings of pity or sadness.
Personification
Attributing human characteristics to an object or animal.
Romantic Movement
A literary movement of the early nineteenth century that focused on emotions and imaginations.
Simile
A form of imagery where one thing is compared to another, usually using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Symbol
Something used to represent something else, such as weather, or colours.
