Lit Terms Flashcards
Abstract
general; referring to a broad concept
Alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds
Ampersand
the character ¨&¨ standing for the word and
Analogy
in lit, a comparison between two things that helps explain or illustrate one or both of them
Annotation
the act of noting observations directly on a text , especially anything striking or confusing, in order to record ideas and impressions for later analysis
Archaic
once common but no longer used
Assonance
repetition of vowel sounds
Blank Verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
Cadence
the rise and fall of the voice
Caesura
a pause within a line of poetry, sometimes punctuated, sometimes not
Carpe Diem
a widespread literary theme meaning ¨seize the day¨ in Latin and found especially in lyric poetry encourages readers to enjoy the present and make the most of their short lives.
Carpe Diem
a widespread literary theme meaning ¨seize the day¨ in Latin and found especially in lyric poetry encourages readers to enjoy the present and make the most of their short lives.
Complex Sentence
contains an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses
Concrete
a specific, particular thing
Connotation
meanings or associations readers have with a word or item beyond its denotation; connotation may reveal another layer of meaning of a piece, affect the tone, or suggest symbolic resonance
Couplet
a two-line rhyming stanza
Cumulative Sentence
an independent clause is followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that add detail
Denotation
the literal definition of a word
Diction
a writer´s choice of words
Elegy
a contemplative poem, usually for someone who has died
End Rhyme
at the end of two or more lines of poetry
English/Shakespearean Sonnet
three quatrains and a couplet; rhyme scheme is generally abab, cdcd, efef, gg
Enjambment
a run-on line in poetry, when one line ends without a pause and must continue into the next line to complete its meaning
Eye/Sight Rhyme
words look the same
Feet
combinations of stressed and unstressed syllables
Figurative Language
a language that uses figures of speech- nonliteral language usually evoking strong images; metaphorical language; most forms make a comparison. other forms include personification, paradox, overstatement/hyperbole, understatement, irony, and analogy.
Form
the defining structural characteristics of a piece of writing, especially a poem
Formal Diction
following custom and rule, rigidly ceremonious
Free Verse
a form of poetry that does not have a regular rhythm or rhyme scheme
Hook
an opening to a piece of writing designed to catch the audience’s attention
Iambic
short-long
Informal Diction
Ordinary; casual; familiar; absence of formality or ceremony
Imagery
the verbal expression of a sensory experience; a description of how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds; imagery may use literal or figurative language
Internal Rhyme
occurs within a line
Inverted Word Order
verb-subject-object, or object-subject-verb
Irony
a pointed discrepancy between what seem fitting or expected in a story and what actually happens
italian/Petrarchan Sonnet
an octave rhyming abba, abba, and a sestet within a variety of rhyme schemes
Literary Elements
the components that together create a literary work
Lyric
short poem expressing personal thoughts or feelings of a first-person speaker
Metaphor
a figure of speech that compares or equates two things; an implicit comparison
Meter
a regular pattern of rhythm
Mood
the feeling the reader experiences as a result of the tone
Near Rhyme
sounds are similar but not exactly the same
Ode
meditates on or addresses a single object or condition
Onomatopoeia
a word that refers to noise and whose pronunciation mimics that noise
Overstatement
deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or ironic effect; an overstatement to make a point
Oxymoron
a paradox made up of two seemingly contradictory words
Paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but actually reveals a surprising truth
Parallel Structure
repeated use of similar grammatical structures, for emphasis
Periodic Sentence
begins with subordinate clauses or phrases that build toward the main clause
Personification
a figure of speech in which an animal or an inanimate object is imbued with human qualities
Point of View
the perspective from which a work is told
Quatrain
four-line stanza
Rhyme
repetition of the same or similar vowel or consonant sounds
Rhythm
the general pattern of stresses and unstressed syllables
Simile
a figure of speech used to explain or clarify an idea by comparing it explicitly to something else, using the words ¨like¨, ¨as¨, or ¨as though¨ to do so
Simple Sentence
composed of one main clause without any subordinate clauses
Sonnet
14 lines in iambic pentameter
Sound
the musical quality of poetry
Syntax
the arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences in a prose passage; includes word order, length and structure of sentences, the chronology of passages, preference of various parts of speech over others, use of connectors between and within sentences, and more
Tercet
three-line stanza
Thesis Statement
the chief claim that a writer makes in any argumentative piece of writing, usually stated in one sentence
Tone
the speaker´s attitude toward the subject of the work as exposed through stylistic choices
