lit terms: general Flashcards
Allusion
A reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history
Anecdote
A short account of an interesting or humorous incident
Artistic unity
The condition that a successful literary work whereby all it’s elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose
Cacophony
A harsh, discordant, unpleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds
Euphony
A smooth, pleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds
Genre
A type of class, as poetry, drama, etc
Imagery
The representation through language of sensory experience
Mood
The pervading impression of a work
Moral
A rule of conduct or maxim for living expressed or implied as the “point” of a literary work.
Prose
Non-metrical language; the opposite of verse
Theme
The main idea of message of a literary work. Often explores timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly
Tone
The writers or speakers attitude toward the subject, the audience, or herself or himself; the emotional coloring or emotional meaning of a work
Setting
The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs
Symbol
Something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well, a figure of speech which may be read both literally and figuratively
Verse
Metrical language, opposite of prose
