Lit Terms Flashcards
adage
A familiar proverb or wise saying.
allegory
a story in which people, things, and events have another meaning
alliteration
the repetition of identical or similar consonant sounds, normally at the beginning of words
allusion
reference to a well-known historical or literary event, person, or work
ambiguity
multiple meanings a literary work may communicate
analogy
the comparison of two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explanations or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one.
anaphora
The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences.
anecdote
A brief narrative tale that focuses on a particular event or incident.
antecedent
The word, phrase or clause to which a pronoun refers.
antithesis
A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced. Ex-sink or swim
aphorism
a brief sometimes clever saying that expresses a principle, truth or observation about life. examples; “a man is God in ruins” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
apostrophe
direct address, usually to someone or something not present or nonhuman
assonance
the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds
attitude
a speaker’s, author’s, or character’s disposition toward or opinion of a subject
cacophony
Harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work.
chiasmus
A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed. (“Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.”
clause
a grouping of words containing a subject and a verb
cliche’
An expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness or meaning has worn off.
colloquial
conversational, slang expressions
conceit
An elaborate metaphor, using elements of science or mathematics to point to a striking parallel between two seemingly dissimilar things; used by the metaphysical poets.
connotation
associations & implications that go beyond a word’s literal meaning
controlling metaphor
comparisons at work throughout poem
convention
a device of style or subject matter so often used that it becomes a recognized means of expression
conventional symbol
recognized by many people
cumulative sentence
A sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases.
denotation
literal, dictionary meanings of a word
devices of sound
techniques of deploying the sounds of words, especially in poetry, such as rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia
diction
word choice –any word that is important to the meaning and the effect of a passage
didactic
explicitly instructive
digression
the use of material unrelated to the subject of the work
dramatic irony
reader knows more than the character
ellipsis
the omission of words (…)
epigraph
A saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work.
epiphany
a sudden realization by the reader and/or a character of the true nature of a person, place, object, or situation (near end of work
epithet
A term used to point out a characteristic of a person. (Swift-footed Achilles) Can be abusive, or offensive, but are not so by definition. (The Rock, Jake “the Snake”)
eulogy
A formal speech praising a person who has died.
euphemism
the substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one, as in the use of “pass away” instead of “die” . the basic psychology of this type of language is the desire to put something bad or embarrassing in a positive or at least neutral light. thus many terms referring to death, sex, crime, and excremental functions are expressed using this device. since this device is often chosen to disguise something horrifying, it can be exploited by the satirist through the use of irony and exaggeration
fable
A simple symbolic story usually employing animals as characters. Aesop and LaFontaine are authors who excel at this form.
figurative language
figures of speech, such as metaphor, simile, and irony etc.
flat character
A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of the story.
hubris
Excessive pride or arrogance that results in a downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy.
hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration, overstatement without the intention of being accepted literally
imagery
sensory details such as visual, auditory, or tactile images evoked by the words of a literary work; also used to apply to figures of speech
imperative
the mood of a verb that gives an order
implied metaphor
subtle & not explicit (terms compared are not so specifically explained)
indicative
the mood that makes a factual statement
inductive reasoning
Deriving general principles from particular facts or instances. (“Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals.)
informal diction
plain language or everyday use; includes idioms, sayings, simple words
jargon
Specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession.
juxtaposition
Placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast.
limited narrator
A narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought or felt by that one character.
literal
not figurative; accurate to the letter
litotes
a particular form of understatement, is generated by denying the opposite or contrary of the word which otherwise would be used. depending on the tone and context of the usage, this device either retains the effect of understatement or becomes an intensifying expression
lyrical
songlike;characterized by emotions
malapropism
The mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar. (“The doctor wrote a subscription.”)
metonymy
A figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea.Ex. “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
monologue
A speech given by one character. EX. Hamlet’s “To be or not to be…”
mood
The emotional atmosphere of a work.
narrative techniques
methods involved in telling a story such as point of view, manipulation of time, manipulation of pace, dialogue, or interior monologue, etc.
ode
A formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject.
omniscient narrator
A narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feeling of the characters.
oxymoron
a combination of opposites; the union of contradictory terms into a single expression ie. sweet sorrow
palindrome
a word, verse, or sentence or number that reads the same backwards and forwards
parable
a story designed to suggest a principle, illustrate a moral or answer questions also an allegorical story
paradox
a statement that seems to be self-contradicting but, in fact, is true ie. The more you know, the more you you don’t know
parallel plot
A secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot. (Hamlet loses his father as does Ophelia.)
parallel structure
a similar grammatical structure within a sentence or within a paragraph
parallelism
a recurrent syntactical similarity. in this structural arrangement several parts of a sentence or several sentences are developed and phrased similarly to show that the idea is the parts or sentences are equal in importance. this structural arrangement also adds balance and rhythm and, most importantly, clarity to the sentence
parody
a composition that imitates the style of another composition, normally for comic effect
persona
a speaker created by a poet
personification
a figurative use of language which endows the nonhuman with human characteristics
poetic diction
use of elevated language over ordinary language
point of view
any of several possible vantage points from which a story is told: 1st person, 3rd person objective, limited omniscient Persona: the mask or voice of the author or author’s creation in a work when the narrator is in the 1st person
reliability
a quality of some fictional narrators whose word the reader can trust; there are both reliable and unreliable narrators
resources of language
a general phrase for the linguistic devices or techniques that a writer can use such as style, rhetoric, diction, syntax, figurative language, imagery, etc.
rhetoric
the science of literary composition, especially prose; the combination of syntax and diction to create effective writing
rhetorical techniques
the devices used in effective or persuasive language; some of the many techniques include: contrast, repetition, parallelism, paradox, understatement, sarcasm, rhetorical question etc.
round character
A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work.
satire
writing that seeks to arouse a reader’s disapproval of an object by ridicule with an eye to correcting vice and folly
simple sentence
A sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause.
soliloquy
A speech in a play which is used to reveal the character’s inner thoughts to the audience. (Hamlet’s “To be or not to be…” speech is an example.)
structure
the arrangement of materials within a work; the relationship of the parts of a work to the whole; the logical divisions of a work. The most common principles are series (A,B,C,D,E), contrast (A vs. B, C vs. D, E vs. A), and repetition (AA, BB, AB)
Style
the characteristic manner of expression of an author; examples of elements to discuss include diction, syntax, figurative language, imagery, selection of detail, sound effects, and tone
subplot
A secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main story line. In Hamlet the main story line has Hamlet avenging the death of his father, while this has Hamlet dealing with his love for Ophelia.)
syllepsis
A construction in which one word is used in two different senses. (“After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.”)
syllogism
a form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them
synecdoche
A figure of speech that utilizes a part as a representative of the whole. (“All hands on deck” is an example.)
synesthesia or synaesthesia
Describing one kind of sensation in terms of another. (“A loud color,” “a sweet sound”)
syntax
the structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence; elements to be considered include: length or brevity; kinds of sentences (questions, exclamations etc.; periodic or loose sentences; simple complex, compound etc.)
theme
the main thought expressed by a work; sometimes the questions ask for the “meaning of the work”
tone
the manner in which an author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning. Tone is described by adjectives. The tone may shift within the selection, and the student is expected to note the shift. Tone is the result of allusion, diction, figurative language, imagery, irony, symbol, syntax, style etc.
trite
Overused and hackneyed.
understatement
expressing an idea with less emphasis or in a lesser degree than is the actual case. the opposite of hyperbole. this literary device is employed for ironic emphasis
vernacular
The everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage.
voice
the use of active or passive voice
