Lit metalanguage Flashcards
Compound Sentence
Has two or more independent clauses linked by conjunctions
Complex Sentence
Main clause with one or more dependent clauses
Compound-Complex Sentence
Combines multiple sentence structures
Context
Setting forming the background for understanding
Feminist Criticism
Concerned with the relationship between literary texts and the place of women in society.
Foreshadowing
Hints of future events in a text (Proposed under chestnut tree which then gets split by lighting)
Genre
Category of texts sharing common conventions
Personification
Attributing Human Traits to Non-Human Things (The guitar wept)
Postcolonialism
Study of Events Post-Colonial Occupation
Sibilance
Repetition of the consonant ‘s’ to create hissing sounds (Sing a song of sixpence)
Symbol
Object/action with deeper meaning
Sentence
Comprised of one or more clauses
Class
The division of people in society based on wealth, occupation, ownership of property, level of education, etc. (upper class, the working class, the lower class)
Consonance
Repetition of consonant sounds
Passive voice
The subject of the sentence receives the action. (The jester was kissed by the king)
Active voice
The subject of the sentence performs the action. (The king kissed the jester)
Metaphor
Figurative language in which there is a comparison of two non-related things. One thing is described as another. (The heart is an arrow)
Syntax
Arrangement of words to create well-formed sentences
Narrative Voice
Perspective from which a story is narrated
Patriarchy
The role of men in power over women in society.
Listing
Repetition of Words/Phrases to Form a List (You are little, strange and poor)
Irony
Use of words to express different meanings (On a rainy day: Lovely weather we’re having)
Imagery
Descriptions representing emotions or ideas (The sun going down)
Hubris
Excessive pride and arrogance. The fatal flaw of the hero. (Achilles in battle of Troy)
Gender
Social classification based on sex differences
Colonialism
Occupation of another country for resource use
Cliché
Overused expression (Pretty as a picture)
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words (No play, no pay)
Alliteration
Repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of neighbouring words (Wonderful winter wonderland)
Exclamatory Sentence
Expresses strong emotion or excitement (what a lot of cake!)
Imperative Sentence
Issues a directive (eat your cake)
Interrogative Sentence
Poses a question (does she like cake?)
Declarative Sentence
Makes a statement (I like cake)
Simple Sentence
Contains a single independent clause
Animation
Inanimate objects are given action or movement
Simile
Comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ (The sun is like a golden coin)
Psychoanalytical Criticism
Interprets Texts as Unconscious Desires (Darth Vader as Luke Skywalker’s ‘shadow’ self in Star Wars)
Pathetic Fallacy
Nature Reflecting Human Emotions (The somber clouds darkened the room)
Narrator
Figure Telling the Story (First person, second person, third person)
Motif
Recurrent Symbol which contributes to the theme (Doorways in Ladybird representing the choices LB makes)
Dramatic Irony
Audience knows more than characters
Ideology
Set of ideas and beliefs guiding behaviour
Hyperbole
Exaggeration for emphasis (These shoes are killing me)
Idealisation of Women
The concept of women being perfect innocent beings to be adored, mourned, and respected—but never touched or relied upon.
Celebration of Isolation and Melancholy
Emphasises the value of looking inward, determining your own path, and relying on only your own resources. Melancholy is usually seen as a reaction to inevitable failure
Focus on the individual and spirituality
Valuing the individual experience above all else which led to a heightened sense of spirituality in and the addition of occult and supernatural elements.
Celebration of nature
A source of infinite beauty and a teacher of humans, demonstrates the power of the landscape as well as the beauty favoured invoking deep emotions
